Restack the Deck
by TheClockworkStarling
Summary: The Suits are in chaos. The Black Suits are unprotected and the Red Magic left unchecked. Gilbert, the Red Joker, must fix it before everything falls and this time, he has to get it right. This is the second chance and there is no one left to help him. With unexperienced monarchs, he must keep his world from dying. I DO NOT OWN HETLALIA!
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! This is my first story, please review! Conventional criticism is appreciated!**

The room was intimidatingly huge. It was so large that it was impossible to see the far wall from the oak doors that served as entrance. The peak of the tall, dark, domed ceiling was almost totally indistinguishable. Candles seemed to have been set up without any forethought so that there were random groups of bright light interspersed throughout the room. However, the rest of the room was cloaked in shadows and lit by only a few dim lights. Patches of wax and scattered playing cards littered the ground as though forgotten. The air was hot and heavy as though the little smoke from the candles weighed it down. There were no windows and the walls were covered with black and red drapes, originally hung ornamentally and to liven up the room but it had been a long time since anyone had cared what the room looked like. A fine layer of dust coated the drapes and shadows cast by the candles seemed distorted and almost to move of their own accord.

Four rows of black tables stretched all the way crossed the room and a single figure walked silently down the middle aisle between them. He walked on, ignoring the tables and ignoring what filled them. Card houses. The tables were covered in giant card house. Every style of card building in fact. There were towers, that seemed to reach the roof and there were single story cubical that sprawled out without trying to ever go up. There was the classic triangle style and there was also likenesses of castles. The buildings on each row of tables were made with a different suit of cards. The row farthest to the right of the figure had only buildings made out of Spades. To the immediate right of the person, Diamonds and to the immediate left was Clubs; the far left row was made with Hearts. However, the person walked on, ignoring his surroundings as though it was nothing new. As though he had done it a million times before.

The houses started beyond impressive, but the farther down the row the figure walked, it became apparent that there was once much more. Cards seemed to have slipped and fell, bringing down parts of houses and sometimes whole tables would be covered with not buildings but piles of cards that had once stood. Each row of suits showed such damage but what caused the cards to slip and fall was not clear. The farther he walked the more cards covered the ground and the fewer grand building stood untouched by whatever force cause the cards to fall.

He knew it was there. He had helped build the houses. He knew the significance of the room and all of the cards both standing in houses and part of piles that once stood. It was his job to know. He was a protector. He protected the Cards and Suits from each other. The figure approached an area where the metropolis suddenly stopped. Unlike before, where damage was dispersed, the huge gap stretched a crossed at least three tables on all four rows. Here, the cards of all suits mixed and covered the floor but, the figure barley looked at it. He moved on, walking over the fallen cards to where the houses began again. On the table that held Spades, a tall wall of the classic triangle style stood, as the figure moved by, a card inexplicably slipped. The wall crumpled in on itself, cards fell into a tower nearby and both the wall and tower collapsed.

Almost as one, the cards and the person fell to the ground. His body curled and grew tense, a choked gasp of pain escaped clenched teeth. He clutched his chest and his long red tail flicked back and forth. As the cards settled around him and the cards on the table grew still, he slowly relaxed and sat up slowly as though the movement triggered more pain. His breath came quick and short and he looked at the new gap where the tower and wall had stood, looked and sighed tiredly. He got to his feet and brushed his white hair back out of his eyes, then he moved on.

He was a protector. The Red. Supposed to be one of two. The Red and the Black. The Jokers. They protected the Cards from each other and kept the balance. That was their job. They had failed. Both they and the Suits had paid the price. He was one of one now and he had to rebuild. He had to restart, maybe another one would come along to replace the Black lost but he could not afford to wait, already the cards were beginning to slip again. It was effecting him more than he had expected, but he had to deal with it. He was now both the Red and the Black, he heard prayers meant for both and he felt the pain of both's losses. However, the Black's magic had vanished along with it's wielder. He was the Red, he was the protector of the Red Suits and, as his nature was to keep things balanced, he naturally was the controller of Black Suit magic. This left the Red Suit magic untended as the Black Joker was gone. Regardless, he had to, needed to get the Suits back together, replace their losses, they couldn't know that he was alone. They couldn't know the Black was gone, the Black Suits unprotected, and the Red Magic uncensored. He had to fix it or everything would all fall.

Just thinking about it made him tense. It wasn't entirely his fault. If the Aces had stayed out of the way. If only they had let him do his job and not interfered. If only. This had happened before, for the same reason. If he didn't fix this, there would be no second chance. This was the second chance and he was alone this time.

He cursed quietly under his breath, "See?" He said out loud, "See what happened?" He stopped and turned slowly, arm raised as if presenting the room of cards to an unseen observer. "This is why you guys don't mess with the Suits. This is why I exist!" He sighed, letting his arm drop as if defeated, "Stay out of my way for a while."

He started walking again.

As he walked, out of the darkness, he heard a prayer. One of thousands, but this one was clearer and seemed overly sharp and crisp. It almost seemed to cut into his mind and again, he stopped, listening to the young voice ringing through his head. It pushed the thought of the Aces out of his mind as, at first he thought it was one of the monarchs of the four kingdoms, as their prayers were always louder than the others, but out of the six living monarchs, only one had prayed in years.

"Dear Jokers, both Red and Black, I pray, I ask, I hope for peace." The youth's voice said, it was a voice the Joker recognized. Not one of the monarchs but, a long ignored, a friend, no, a brother. The Red Joker shook his head, but that voice persisted, "I pray for peace and that you two will find Hearts a new King and Jack. We need them now, we need heirs to appear. I know you aren't ignoring us, but it feels like it sometimes." The words seemed to cut deeper, but they cut into the Joker's heart now, not his mind. "I know you're busy and everything, but could you spare a few moments for us? For me? We miss you Gilbert. We need the Joker's blessing right now, and it hasn't seemed like you're watching over us, Gil."

The Joker shuddered, as his younger brother used his name. It had been years since he had heard it. In a way, he had been ignoring his living family, but this wasn't something he had chosen, it wasn't something he had wanted. New Jokers were chosen so rarely, some people didn't believe it happened. But it did. In these dark days, some people didn't even believe in the Jokers. Gil remembered dyeing, he remembered seeing Gabriel, the old Black, and he remembered becoming the Red Joker. However, he also remembered his life in the Hearts Kingdom. It was painful, hearing his little brother pray to him. It was painful knowing that everything he had tried to do had failed. In the chaos of the last few years, he had stopped going home to see his parents and his brother. Now that the Black was gone, he had been busier than ever.

"Gil, we don't blame you like the Council does, but we do need some help. Let us know you are still there." The boy continued, jolting Gilbert out of his nostalgic pain. Why didn't they blame him? They had every right to. Of all the people of the four kingdoms, his family was the most justified in hating him. "I pray for peace, Red. I pray for heirs. Amen."

Gilbert stood frozen in the dark room, the cards were still and a strange calm seemed to settle on the room. He brushed his white hair back again, swished his tail and started walking again. His family still believed in him. Even if the Black was dead, even if he was now both Red and Black, he could still do this. Gilbert knew he could find the heirs, he knew peace was just around the corner and if would have to set in before winter or the peaceful countries would starve. The Red magic being unchecked was something that the Red could not deal with immediately, but he could protect the Black Suits. First things first, he had to find the new Heirs of the thrones and ensure that each kingdom had a King, Queen, and Jack leading them.

Gil couldn't help but grin darkly to himself, things would be okay. This was his mess, but he would be able to fix it. His little brother, Ludwig, had been able to rekindle a hope, he hadn't felt in months. A single prayer, Ludwig's prayer, made Gilbert want to keep going.

Gilbert left the room of the card towers and went to the throne room of the castle. Here, he had already pushed the two thrones to the very back of the platform they sat on and put a long table in front of them. On the table was scattered cards, but Gilbert brushed them out of the way, ignoring those that fell on the ground. Apart from the raised platform, the table and the thrones, the room was empty. It was long and large, though not as large as the room housing the card towers. Again, the walls were draped with red and black velvet, but here the ceiling was much lower and a huge mural of the map of the content stretched a crossed the ceiling. This room had no apparent light source, but it was dimly lit anyway. On the far, opposite wall of the thrones were four door sized pieces of glass, each looking into a different room.

Gilbert pulled a fresh deck of cards out of his pocket and shuffled them. Without looking, he flipped the top card from the deck onto the table, and as he knew it would be, it was the Jack of Spades. The next card he flipped and placed next to the Jack, was the Jack of Clubs, and the next the Jack of Diamonds. He then moved these three cards to his right, they represented the three living Jacks in order to the longest in his position to the newest. He shuffled his deck again, and flipped a fresh card in front of him, it was the Queen of Spades, the next was the Queen of Hearts. Again, he moved these two to his right and put them above the row of Jacks. Gilbert didn't bother shuffling again, but flipped another card onto the table in front of him. The King of Diamonds, he moved this too to his right, putting it above the Queens. These were all of the monarchs in the four kingdoms, all but three had been found as Heirs to their throne after the war had started.

The Joker looked over the six cards, the hope he had felt moments before lessened. These people would have to help the new monarchs get the countries peaceful. He had watched these monarchs and the chances of them working together seemed very slim. Then again, as long as the Aces didn't get involved, everything should go well. Gilbert shuffled his deck thoughtfully, pushing some of his magic into it, and took a card from the middle of the stack. Theoretically, this would be a Heir, if it wasn't, he would have to hand pick someone, and the chances of it being right person was slim, as he didn't have an intricate knowledge of the Black Suits like he did the Red. He held the chosen card in front of him for a moment before slowly flipping it over. Queen of Clubs. Gilbert smiled, an heir was found.

Gilbert carefully folded the card in half, creased it and cupped it in his hand. He wasn't sure he would be able to use the searcher locked in the card since it was a black suit, but he focused, feeling the life behind the card, willing it to reveal itself to him. Then he suddenly threw the card up, but as he opened his hands, a little green bird burst out. It fluttered around the room, then dived in the direction of the glass doors on the far wall.

"Hey! Wait!" Gilbert yelped, following quickly, pushing himself up and into the air.

The bird flew directly at the glass in the middle left, the glass shimmered and just as the bird would have hit the glass, the glass disappeared. Gilbert flew after the bird, the glass replaced itself, but on this side it looked like a mirror, only reflecting the room it looked into.

"You know, I could have just teleported us closer, but it you want to go the long way through Clubs then fine." Gilbert said absently to the bird, glancing around the room. The bird ignored him and dove recklessly through the room, circling in an agitated manner, "You realize that the castle personal can't see me, but they will be able to see you right?"

The bird continued to ignore him, Gilbert sighed and opened the door of the room with a tap, and the bird dove out of it, turning into a corridor. The castle was almost totally deserted. The fine decorations and bustling servants were gone, and compared to the last time Gilbert had come here, it seemed dead. The bird navigated the castle with ease, but became agitated whenever they came to a door. Gilbert opened doors and followed the little bird, quietly disturbed by the transformation of the Clubs Castle. In the open air, Gilbert followed the little emerald bird as it climbed into the air and headed east. As they flew over the Clubs Kingdom, the land below them turned from lush forests to a battle torn country. Trenches could be seen stretching below them, and the bird turned, following one group of these ditches.

` "If we go much further, we will reach the Diamonds border, and I have really don't want to have to deal with a foreign Clubs Heir." Gilbert said, but again the bird continued flying. Suddenly it dove down, below them sat a field of dark green tents, "Wait, a field hospital?" Gilbert grimaced, if the new queen was already injured, that put a huge dent in his plans. Plus, it seemed to him it would be just his luck to find an Heir who was dying.

"Please stop complaining, I'm doing my job." the bird said, in a soft feminine voice.

"Oh, so now you decided to talk? Well, I'm trying to do my job too." Gilbert retorted, they had reached the ground and he dropped down and walked after the bird.

"No you are not. You are doing the Black's job, I have no reason to talk to you nor do I have any loyalty to you." The bird sounded almost insulted by the fact that she had to talk to him.

"Look, the Black is gone, so I am both Black and Red for the time being." Gilbert said, trying to sound reasonable and not defensive.

"I hate you. It's your fault the Black is gone."

"Okay, whatever."

As they moved through the camp, Gilbert was totally unnoticed and the emerald bird only brought a few glances. They moved through tents, until the bird slowed and fluttered in front of the flap of one tent. Just then, a pair of nurses came out, carrying bandages and other supplies.

"A female queen? The last two were guys." Gilbert said, more to himself than the bird. The positions of Queen, King, and Jack were just that, positions. Each was a title and either gender could hold that position. The two nurses couldn't see him, nor could they hear him.

"Must you state the obvious?" the bird snapped and both nurses spun around in surprise at hearing another voice. The bird was magic, but it was a temporary being that was part of the queen's future magic and did not have the capability of rendering itself invisible or unheard.

"What? Who's there?" one of them asked, her hair blonde hair was cut short and her uniform stretched tightly a crossed her chest. A light blue headband kept her hair back and she seemed overly nervous about the prospect of someone else being around.

"Hello?" the other said while looking around, "I don't think there is anyone here." She was shorter than her companion, her hair was brown and wavy and she had a pretty orange flower in her hair. She was much more relaxed and had a commanding dignified air about her.

"Well, are you going to do your job?" Gilbert asked, they couldn't see him although they were looking directly at him, and the bird had landed grudgingly on his shoulder, rendering her invisible as well.

The bird was silent for a moment, "Let her see you."

"What?"

"Let the brunette see you, but not the other. Elizabeta Hedervary is to be the new Queen of Clubs."

Gilbert snorted; he had never had to deal with the Black's magic animated before. Discovering a new heir in the Red kingdoms didn't go like this, "Why?" He asked warily. Half of the continent still prayed to the Jokers and the other half either hate or don't believe in them. Jokers were sort of gods to the people, but they were also sort of annoyances. Furthermore, if this Clubs girl was an enemy of Jokers, then the Red appears before her, what would she do? Maybe if it was the Black . . . .

"Because, in this part of the world, the Joker is the one to inform the heir of their destiny. I am a searcher. I have found her. That is my job and I have completed it." The bird said disdainfully.

Gilbert sighed and mentally willed the girl to see him. She gasped, stepping back, her companion looked at her in confusion.

"Elizabeta? What's wrong?" The blonde girl asked.

Elizabeta stared at Gilbert, who in turn smirked at her, "Can't you see him? The horns, the tail?" Gilbert shook his head, afraid that if he spoke and Elizabeta's friend didn't hear him, but Elizabeta did, she would totally freak out.

"What? A demon? Are you okay?" her friend asked gently touching her forehead to check for a fever.

Elizabeta stared at Gilbert. This was turning out to be more fun than he had thought; he turned and started walking away from her, the paused and looked back, motioning for her to follow. He had to get her out of the camp.

"Um, yeah, I'm good." Elizabeta said slowly, watching the retreating Joker, "Um, can you cover for me? I, uh, I'll be right back." She hastily handed her box of supplies to her friend and hurried after the black and red figure.

Gilbert lead her to the edge of the camp, where no one would see her talking to thin air. He turned and looked at her, grinning.

"Hi." He said.

"Hi, what are you? Are you real?" Elizabeta asked, her voice was strong again, and curious, "Are you the Black Joker?"

"No, I am the Red actually." Gilbert said airily and smiling, "But what's more important is who you are."

"Who am I?" Elizabeta asked, wary now.

Gilbert reached up and removed the green bird from his shoulder; he covered it with his hands and forced it back into a card. He lifted the Queen of Clubs for the girl to see, "A Heir."

Elizabeta looked at the card, but her stance did not change, "I'm an Heir? The next Queen?"

"Yes. I can awaken your powers now, or I can take you to the Jack of Clubs, or I can just go tell him to come here and get you." Gilbert said, ticking off the options on his fingers, "The call is yours to make, your actions from here are your own. I once had someone who walked to his capital to tell his Queen himself, so really whatever you want to do, go for it."

Elizabeta studied Gilbert carefully, "Why haven't you stopped the war?"

Gilbert frowned at her, "Assume that running a continent is rather difficult. And please know, I've been trying."

"Try harder." Elizabeta said, giving him an icy stare.

"Look," Gilbert shrugged, "This isn't about me, this is about you." He pushed off from the ground and flew backward to perch in a tree, "Tell me what you would like me to do. Please understand that this is probably the only time I will every follow your order." He grinned down at her.

She glared up at him, "I want you to stop the war."

Gilbert slouched into the trunk of the tree, maybe this wasn't going as well as he thought, "I'm trying, okay?"

"Why are you here and not the Black?"

"He's busy."

"Well, then why don't you go help him?"

"I am helping him, I'm here with the new Heir."

"But-"

"Look, if you keep going on like this, I'm going to activate your powers and let you deal with it!" Gilbert snapped, glaring at her now. This girl was defiantly Queen quality, but these sort of conversations was why he didn't do this sort of thing when discovering a Red Heir.

"Please endow me with the powers of the Queen of Clubs and go inform the Jack that I am on my way to the capital as soon as I have obtained leave from my commanding officer." Elizabeta said, her voice already with the commanding air all of the monarchs adopted.

Gilbert sighed, "You are the Heir. You don't really need permission to-"

"Yes I do. I am no better than them, and even though I am the Heir I still have responsibilities to this hospital!" Her tone was sharp and Gilbert just shrugged.

"Whatever."

Gilbert hopped down from the tree and took the card of the Queen of Clubs, he again folded it and covered it in his hands, then he slowly rotated his hands to be pressed together with the card between them. The Joker pulled his hands apart and as he did, the sword that held the magic of the Queen of Clubs appeared hanging in the air between his palms, it served as a storage for the magic and as the symbol of the office. A faint green glow engulfed him and the new Queen. Gilbert stepped back, away from the weapon, but leaving it hanging the air in front of Elizabeta.

"It's all yours." Gilbert smiled and gave her a small bow.

She looked uncertain for the first time, then after seeming to summon her courage, quickly grabbed the handle of the blade. She and the sword seemed to radiate light, then slowly it faded away. She looked at Gilbert, and gave him a small smile.

"I wish you the best in your reign." Gilbert smirked again, "See you."

Elizabeta nodded, and Gilbert summoned his magic, teleporting himself to the Castle of Clubs in a puff of smoke. Gilbert knew that it was no accident that Miss Elizabeta was the first Heir found, she had the heart of a soldier and the limitations but mind of a woman. She had seen the results of the war, she had probably also fought, she might be the one to force the Jack to offer an arimsance.


	2. Chapter 2

Rodrich Edestien had been known as the Heir Jack since he was very young. The last Jack had trained him and he had held his position since the beginning of the war. He had been at the front overseeing the Club's generals, but was forced to return to the capital after the King died and since then, Rodrich had been single handedly running the kingdom. He considered this an impressive accomplishment, but it was exhausting. Rodrich was now twenty five and had been Jack since he was sixteen.

There was not much that fazed him anymore, but the pale, thin demon in his office was disturbing to say the least. The guy looked to be seventeen or eighteen, and was narrow and thin, without being too tall. His hair was the color of snow and his skin, barley a few shades darker, his eyes were an unsettling shade of red, and the guy had a cocky stance about him and was grinning devilishly. The truly disturbing part about him, was the horns and the tail and the fact that he had appeared in a puff of red smoke without Rodrich sensing any magic. This guy looked like a Joker, but he was defiantly not the Black. Rodrich remembered the Black being a blonde boy and shorter, and not this guy. However, the horns and the tail were undeniable; therefor this must be the Red. Rodrich had no respect for the Red, and had never met him before now. Of course, lately he had very little respect for the Black as well.

Rodrich examined the Red, feeling rather annoyed and unimpressed, "Please leave, I'm rather pressed for time at the moment." He said politely, but pointedly turned back to the paper work on the desk in front of him. He disliked the guy, before he had even said anything.

"Hi, I'm here to inform you of an Heir." The Red said, ignoring Rodrich's comment and he wandered over to the book case, examining the books. He was relaxed, and acted as if he owned the place.

"Pardon?" Rodrich said, looking up sharply. An Heir might change the course of the war and that was just was he needed. As much as he may dislike the Jokers, they were still the Jokers.

"She's a pretty little nurse near the front lines, she wanted me to tell you that she is on her way as soon as she gets leave from her Superior Officer. Her name is Elizabeta Hedervary." The Red said and started reorganizing the books.

"She is an Heir, she doesn't need to ask for leave." Rodrich said, more to himself then the Joker.

"I told her that and she got upset with me." the Red shrugged, "She has the Queen's Sword, and I doubt she will have any issues."

"Where is she stationed?"

"Very close to the Diamonds boarder, near Lake Black Jack."

"Thank you." Rodrich thought for a moment and frowned as he watched the albio move his books around, "Where is the Black?"

"Busy." The Red seemed to have finished with the books around and he spun on his heel to look at Rodrich and smile arrogantly, "I'm rather busy myself, so I'll be seeing you."

"Please ensure the Black comes next time." Rodrich said coolly, "It's nothing personal of course."

"Of course." the Red said sarcastically and gave the Jack a mocking bow. With that, there was another puff of smoke and the Joker was gone.

"Toris!" Rodrich called.

A brown haired young man opened the door and bowed to his Jack. "Yes my lord?"

"An Heir has been located, dispatch two carriages and the royal guard to Lack Black Jack, they are looking for a young lady who is stationed as a nurse somewhere near there. Her name is Elizabeta Hedervary."

"Would you like to send a letter of welcome along with the guard?" Toris asked politely.

"Yes, but please organize everything now, I will ring for you when I finished the letter." Rodrich said, and pulled out a fresh sheet of paper and a quill, "Also, please inform the Council of Queen Elizabeta's discovery."

"Of course." Toris bowed and hurried away.

A Queen changed things for Rodrich, this meant that she would be able to manage the country while he managed the war, furthermore the Council would be subdued for a while in their complaints. Yes, this was good, things were looking up.

Rodrich frowned suddenly and stood, to go over and look at the bookcase. It looked like the Red had moved things around randomly, no wait, he had reorganized the shelf by author's last name. That was strange.

Rodrich shook his head, the Jokers were a strange lot. There was no accounting for what they did. Rodrich returned to his desk and sat down to write a letter to a girl he had never met, but who would soon rule alongside him.

Gilbert returned to his castle, and once again at this table, he took a card from the middle of the stack of his deck and flipped it over. Jack of Hearts, again, he felt a warmth blossom in him, of course it had to be a red suit, that was only fair and of course it had to be Hearts since Queen Honda Kiku was the only monarch there. The Joker's job was to keep things balanced and keep the world having a level playing field. Jokers were the neutral onlookers, but also the referees. They were gods, but also demons. Gilbert could remember early in his time as a Joker when all the Jokers did was wander around and play practical pranks on the royalty. They had never been prayed to then, and there had been so few issues and they were so bored that they were considered menaces. Gilbert supposed that the trouble now, sort of made up for all those nice days of leisure.

Gilbert didn't control the Deck, but it worked on the same idea of fairness and balance that the Jokers did. The Red Joker specialized in Black Suit magic and the Black Joker specialized in Red Suit magic. Gilbert could do Red magic, but he was a master of Time and Space, which where the specialties of Spades and Clubs respectively. When he had lived, the Black could do some truly amazing things with Mental magic, Memory and Thought was split between Hearts and Diamonds. Similarly, the Deck had revealed the first Heir found was a Black Queen of the Kingdom with only a Jack, now the Heir to a Red Jack in the Kingdom with only a Queen. He expected that a black King would be found next, but first things first. He folded the jack and threw it into the air, it turned into a pretty pink cat, which landed gracefully on the floor.

"Long time no see!" Gilbert said smiling and crouching down to pet the cat. The animated red suit magics were all known to him, as he had used them to find Heirs in the past. They were like old friends, while the animated black suit magics were more like grudging workers to him.

"You've been so stressed lately Red. Finally it's time for Heirs and you almost seem back to normal!" The cat said in a soft male voice that seemed to purr with each syllable.

"You can't keep someone as awesome as me down long, lets go!" Gilbert picked the cat up, "Where to?"

"The capital!"

Even in wartime, the capital of Hearts was a bustling and busy place. They arrived on the docks of the city in a puff of smoke and Gilbert put the cat down. To Gilbert's surprise, it seemed to be the same time that it had been when he left Rodrich. Time passed differently for him and in his home, it was slower. It appeared to be a day later. he checked the newspaper of a man passing, it was two days later. Oh well, that was fine.

The cat chuckled, "As always, you have amazing accuracy." The cat trotted off along the dock, Gilbert following. "You could have gone anywhere in this city, but you decided on a place a block away from the Heir! How do you do that?

Gilbert shrugged, "I'm just awesome like that."

Gilbert always liked Hearts, since it was his native land, but the capital in particular was an amazing place. There was art everywhere and goods of all kinds could be found. Prices were high right now due to the war, but that didn't keep people from trying to push a hard bargain. Gilbert loved the high energy of Hearts and he loved the people. The land here wasn't as beautiful as Diamonds and there wasn't as much as in Clubs, but Gil had always felt like the Heart's plains and forests were more alive than anywhere else on the continent. There were also the islands that Hearts controlled, they seemed distant and Gilbert didn't visit them often. As he followed the cat, a slight nostalgia filled him, he really ought to visit Hearts more often. Hearts was just awesome. On the other hand, Hearts was where the Aces had first messed things up.

The cat trotted up to a little fishing inn and jumped up to the window, "There, that red head."

Gilbert peered in to see a pair of boys sitting at a table playing chess. They looked to be about fourteen and both wore a uniform of the inn, but the place was empty since it wasn't quite midday yet. The lunch crowd had yet to show up and the breakfasters had long left. The man behind the bar was cleaning, and the boys both had brooms leaning against the table beside them, clearly they were supposed to be occupied as well. The bartender ignored their lax attitude and walked into the back room, probably to start setting up for the lunch rush. The boys looked very similar except one was dark haired and scowling and one was red haired and laughing. Strangely, it looked to Gilbert like the darker haired boy was winning the chess game and the red, loosing horribly. The boys were talking, though Gilbert couldn't hear what was being said. He picked up the cat and teleported into the inn.

"Same drill as always, okay?" He asked, setting the cat down, and looking over the chess board again. Yep, the red head was losing, rather humiliatingly. It looked like they were less than five moves in and he had already lost his queen and was one move from being in checkmate.

The cat nodded.

"Those Black cards have such a weird way of announcing their Heirs, the Black talks to the Heir and allows them one request." Gilbert said absently, examining the game and coming to the conclusion that the red head had no clue how to play.

"Weird. Our way is much more practical and dramatic, I think." The cat said.

"Ya, well go on, I'll watch and keep things from going badly." Gilbert said and lifted his magic from the pink cat so that the boys could see him. The sudden appearance caused them both to jump.

"AWWWW! Kitty!" The red head said and jumped up to pet it.

"Hey! Don't touch it! It might get you sick!" The darker one snapped quickly, "It's pink."

"So cute though!" The red head complained and crouched down, offering a hand out to the cat.

"Feliciano! Do not touch the weirdly mutant cat! It just appeared!"

"Ah Lovino! It's so cute!" With that , Feliciano reached forward and picked the cat up.

For a moment nothing happened, and Feliciano cooed over the cat lovingly. Then a pink aura engulfed them, a sharp blinding light filled the room then faded suddenly, leaving the red headed boy sitting on the ground in the traditional pink and red garb of the Jack of Hearts, clutching not a cat, but a staff with the flag of Hearts on his lap. The boys stared at each other and shared a stunned silence.

"You jerk!" Lovino yelped after a moment, "You had to go and become an Heir without me?!"

"Sorry! So sorry!" The red head jumped up and gave his brother a hug, but the drak boy promptly started crying.

The light had shone into the street and a crowd of people now filled the window of the inn and started to come inside. From the back, the bartender appeared, seeing the boys he yelped and raced up, hugging Feliciano. The people around them cheered and the kid was hoisted up onto shoulders and Gilbert watched them proceed toward the Heart's castle. Queen Kiku would have quite the time with that one. He was an experienced queen, but that young of a Jack would be a challenge. Gilbert was amused by how quickly the kid was embraced by the people, he must be well known and liked in this area.

Normally, Gilbert would activate the new monarch's powers then take a memento to the current ruler, giving them a hint as to the new monarch's location. However, since the kid was already in the Capital and the crowd was taking him to the castle, Gilbert simply teleported to the castle ahead of the crowd. Gilbert was much more familure with the red monarchs than the black and Kiku was an amazing Queen, if he had ever seen one. However, personality-wise, Gilbert wasn't so sure how the new Jack and him would mesh.

Kiku had one of the best spy networks among the kingdoms and he was already in the throne room talking quietly with a few of his Council members. Not all nine were present, but Gilbert spotted the Two, Three, and Six and Nine was hurrying away, probably to summon the rest of the Council. Gilbert walked over to Kiku's group and listened.

"A Jack in a time like this is very fortunate, please open the gates and have the guards let everyone in." Kiku said in his customary, low, politely neutral tone. His young face was almost always expressionless, this with his black hair seemed to be in sharp contrast with his cheerful pink and red robs.

"Your Majesty! What if it is a trick? Us finding an Heir two days after Clubs finds theirs seems suspicious. Letting the whole crowd it could be dangerous!" The Three said earnestly.

"I am not concerned; the Red is with us today. Please open the gates; I would like to meet my new Jack." Kiku said, and politely gave a little bow and started up the steps to his throne.

Gilbert had always found it slightly unnerving that only the Queens could sense his magic. Jacks and Kings never seemed to know if a Joker was present or not, but Queens always did. Queens were also the main monarch a Joker would talk to if needed and tended to be the most magically powerful of the three monarchs. However, Gilbert and the last Black had always avoided direct contact, except apartly when the Black revealed new Heirs.

Gilbert walked up to the Hearts thrones, and sat down in the king's throne. From here he could see the whole hall without needing to fly. Flying was great, but in this large of a hall, he would have a hard time hearing what was being said.

"Don't you have your own throne?" Kiku said softly, so as to not let anyone else hear him. Gilbert jumped and looked at the young Queen. Kiku was still looking forward and was watching the people in the hall milling around, preparing for the crowd of towns people.

"Can you see me?" Gilbert asked, unnerved.

Kiku looked directly at him, "Yes, I have been working on a spell that lets me see you when I scene you around. I haven't had a chance to try it until now."

"Oh." Gilbert said, "Why bother coming up with a spell like that?"

"Red, do you like unseen people watching you?" Kiku asked and looked back over the hall.

"I'm your Joker, that's my job!" Gilbert complained.

Kiku didn't react, "Don't you have your own throne to sit in, rather than claiming that of the Heart's King?"

"Ya, but it isn't available right now." Gilbert said with a sigh, "Don't get all upset about me sitting here, it's not like anyone else can see me or will know."

"I know."

"Does it really matter?"

"Yes."

"I'm your Joker! I just found you a Jack!"

"You are not the King."

"Fine." Gilbert stood and sat down on the armrest of the king's throne, "Happy?"

Kiku glanced at him, "No."

Gilbert sighed, but at that moment, a huge crowd poured into the throne room. The little Jack now been placed on the ground and was urged forward by the anticipant and happy crowd. Feliciano walked up to the foot of the thrones alone and knelt down respectfully. Kiku rose from his throne and, without looking at Gilbert, he assented the steps to the red headed boy.

"Please rise Jack of Heart." Kiku said and offered the boy a hand, "Please, what is your name?"

"Feliciano, your majesty." The boy was about the same height as Kiku, though Kiku was seventeen and Feliciano fourteen.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, I am looking forward to working with you." Kiku said with a small smile.

"I'd like to help you draft a sece fire request." Feliciano said, beaming.

Silence followed. It was well known that the Queen did not was to surrender under any circumstance, but the Jack stated this with no hint of challenging that authority. He said it simply and plainly with a childish earnestness that was difficult to take offence to. Gilbert couldn't help but grin, he had thought Elizabeta would be the one to try and end the war, but this boy had beaten her to it. Feliciano seemed oblivious to the tense silence he had caused. He was either an idiot or a evil, manipulative, genius.

"We shall see, maybe." Kiku said slowly, bringing the uncomfortable pause to an end. He turned to the crowd, "Please welcome Jack Feliciano warmly into your service, I know I and the Council will."

There was a cheer and Gilbert was content that the two Heart leaders would be able to work together. He returned to his castle before Kiku could turn around again. The next card was the King of Spades, which would make the Spades Kingdom the first to have a complete set of monarchs.

Before he had a chance to fold the card and turn it into the searcher, Gilbert felt a cold thrill run through his body. It felt just like an Ace messing with something. The hope he had felt through the day vanished and was replaced with a cold feeling of dread. The Joker shoved the card into his pocket and teleported to the room with the card towers. Everything was still; he flew over them, searching for the change in the dynamics of the war. Gilbert saw nothing, but the cold feeling remained. Then he flew back to where the cards for the monarchs now sat. If one of the Aces did something, he had every intention of killing them.

As expected, the Queen and Jack cards leaned on each other for Spades, Clubs, and Hearts. Were the King and Jack card of Diamonds should had stood, both lay flat on the table. Gilbert knew that both of these people were still alive, but something had caused their relationship to slip. They were no longer able to function in their positions. Gilbert's feeling of dread turned to panic and he closed his eyes and mentally located the two. To his horror, they were in the same room. The throne room of the Diamonds Castle, with court of other people. Gilbert teleported to the room, his chest tight, fear filling him. What happened and why wasn't he aware of it? Normally he should be able to sense any anomalies in the Red Suits so he could deal with them before they got unmanageable.

At the throne room, the Joker was greeted by the Hearts council and a crowd of onlookers watching Jack Vash standing in front of King Francis, holding his gun level with Francis's head.

"We will request a sece fire, or I will shoot you." Vash said, his tone flat, and his face unreadable.

Gilbert thought he might drop dead on the spot. What happened here? What on Earth happened?!


	3. Chapter 3

Vash Zwingli looked at Francis Bonnefoy silently for a moment before smoothly flipping his gun from off of his back and leveled it at the king's head. "We will request a sece fire, or I will shoot you." Vash said, his tone flat, and his face unreadable.

The problem was, Francis believed him. Francis had worked with Vash for a year now, and not once had Vash lied to him. The Jack was one of the most confusing people Francis had ever met, he hated conflict and never seemed to have an opinion on anything, however Vash controlled the Diamonds army with amazing results. Vash was amazing at war, and hated it. Francis saw the war as an inconvenience, but he had every intention of winning. Clubs and Hearts would be sorry they messed with him and Spades was a powerful ally. Vash had been talking for months about giving up and it seemed to Francis that he had a script. Every time the topic came up, he said almost the same, long, passionless speech and they had almost the same conversation each time. Only the specific details of this speech varied. It seemed to Francis that when Vash started these speeches, it was just dire, boring, and bad. Nothing to be concerned about, but it was a huge issue with Vash.

This time, things had gone differently.

As always, Vash had strode up, looking sullen, and given the report for what was happening on the Diamond boarder with Clubs.

"Your majesty, the lines have not been able to advance and the medics say that more men are dying of sickness than wounds. We are not going to have enough food for either the army or the home front when winter comes." Vash had started, "Jack Yao of Spades has written to me and said that Spades will no longer be sending medicine, and that the Queen is thinking of backing out of the war. There is not enough money to keep producing the amount of weapons we have been and there was a worker strike in the east sector that has put wheat production back. The workers eventually went back to work since they will starve if they didn't, but they still want higher wages and they want their husbands and sons to come home. There is a rat infestation in the army's food storage which means we will need to send them more food, and General Antonia, the Three of the Council, says that the men are disheartened and requests a higher alcohol ration. Also, we heard that Clubs had located a Queen, this was recently confirmed and our spies do not think an assassination would be possible. Over all, I think it would best benefit the kingdom if we asked Clubs and Hearts for a treaty to be drawn up."

Francis had looked at him throughout the whole speech, barely hearing it. Vash was very pretty; he had bright blonde, shoulder length hair that framed his stern face quite fetchingly. Vash was the driving organizer behind the government and Francis was thankful for that, since organization had never been his strong point. Vash's report was nothing new, it was the same old story. Dire, bad, and worst. Vash always managed to make his report sound like the world was ending without actually putting any emotion into his words.

"Tell Antonio that he will get the higher alcohol ration, tell Yao he can keep his medicine, tell the workers that their husbands are brave, wonderful people and they are winning the war, tell the banks to print more money and give it to the workers, tell the soldiers that rat meat is good, and allow them to use ammunition to hunt them, I think that will help Diamonds finish up with this war. One Clubs Queen isn't enough to turn the tide of the war against us." Francis had said, and as always, Vash had scowled.

"Where will we get the alcohol and medicine? Where will we get the extra ammunition? Do you really want to print more money and push us closer to an economical collapse? Do you really think Diamonds is doing well enough to waste our soldier's lives like that? One Clubs Queen has heartened the Clubs soldiers and given them a dangerous hope while our men grow restless and homesick." Vash had retorted, but he seemed much harsher than usual.

"My good Vash, you worry too much! The mines are coming up with amazing resources and our forests are yielding a higher rate than we originally thought. I am not concerned." Francis had smiled at Vash, in hopes of soothing him enough that he would go away.

That was when things changed and their normal routine was broken. Vash grimaced, turned, as if to storm away, then stopped. The Council members that had been watching, murmured and shifted amongst themselves. A messenger, horse and all, burst into the throne room, followed by a small group of towns people, the guards shot forward, slamming the messenger to the ground just as he dismounted.

"Please! I have a message for the King!" The boy yelped, "It's from General Antonio!"

"Let him up please." Vash had said, and the guards backed off. A servant came and lead the horse back outside.

The boy popped up and raced forward, kneeling down at the foot of the throne's dais. "Hearts have found a Jack!" he sputtered, gasping for breath, it was clear he had pushed himself and his horse hard. If he had come from Antonio, Francis knew the boy must have traveled for at least two hours.

Silence had filled the throne room. Clubs found a Queen two days ago, now Hearts had a Jack. This was not good.

"Thank you," Francis said and he had waved over a servant, "Get this boy a hot bath and some food."

The servant bowed and complied, the quiet of the throne room continued. Vash still had his back to Francis, but Francis saw his hands ball up, and he seemed to be shaking.

Then Vash turned slowly and looked at Francis silently for a moment before smoothly flipping his gun from off of his back and leveled it at the king's head. "We will request a sece fire, or I will shoot you." Vash said, his tone flat, and his face unreadable.

Yep, Francis believed him.

Again, everything was silent. "Vash, I understand that you are unset, mon sher." Francis started, then stopped as he saw Vash's face tighten.

"Upset, your majesty? No, I am not upset, I am ensuring that Diamonds survives the winter." Vash said impatiently, only the slightest hint of sarcasm crept into the blonde's tone.

"Vash, I have no wish to argue with you. However, I refuse to-" Francis saw Vash's finger tighten on his trigger.

There was a flash of red smoke and a pale, lanky white haired guy stood between Vash and Francis. Somehow the guy was now holding the gun, his tail lashing like an angry cat. Wait, tail? And horns. The Red?

"Excuse me, but I can't have you killing him when things are going so well." The white haired guy said, with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Vash's eyes narrowed, "You have no right to tell us what to do, Red." He raised his hand and a wave of magic washed over Francis as Vash pulled his gun out of the Joker's hands. The moment Vash had the gun, he pulled the trigger and shot the Red.

Everything slowed down, Francis was aware of his scream, and the bullet exploding out of the gun toward the Joker, but everything was slow. The Joker was the only one moving normally. It was a strange sensation, feeling like you were moving through molasses, but seeing someone else walking around normally.

"Listen up, if King Francis dies, Diamonds will be at an even larger disadvantage than it already is." The Red said, he sounded mad, and looked even more so. He walked easily out of the path of the bullet and over to Vash, "I agree with you totally Jack, but seeing as peace is right around the corner, being the only monarch of Diamonds will give Diamonds less negotiation power. You will have less control and be in a weaker position. Do you really want the other Kingdoms to decided what will happen to Diamonds?"

The Joker snatched the gun from Vash as Vash had slowly tried to hit him with the butt of it. "Give me a break! I can't have you killing him, even if I don't agree with his actions. Speaking of," The Joker turned on his heel and stormed toward Francis. Francis tried to lean back as the Joker drew near him, but every part of his body reacted so slowly, he was barely able to retreat at all, "You WILL write to the other Queens and request a treaty or I WILL let Vash kill you! Oh, and by the way, I might as well tell you while I'm here, the Spade's King has been found. You two don't have the time or power to be bickering, so get your act together and save your Kingdom!"

"You two bickering could bring your kingdom down! Diamonds needs the strongest foundation it can get! Sure you are doing well since not much of your land has been destroyed, but Vash is right, winter will kill you!" The Red was furious now, he was pink and stalking between both Francis and Vash, waving Vash's gun around. As Francis watched, the Joker's form seemed to flicker, momentarily being replaced with something far more demonic and terrifying. The room was slowly growing darker and a strange mist had begun crawling in wisps a crossed the floor. Francis didn't even try to speak, his vocal cords seemed to be moving as slow as the rest of his body, but his mind raced. The Joker wanted the war to end? Why didn't he end it himself? Diamonds could still win right? A painful spike of magic raced through Francis's body, the room grew darker, the mist thicker, and again the Joker's form flickered to that terrifying demonic thing.

Suddenly, Francis could move again, but he was inexplicably drained and just slouched back in his throne and stared at the Red. Vash stood as if exhausted, his commanding air gone, but he still glared at the Joker. The Council and townsfolk looked on as if spell bound. The light was back to normal and the strange mist was slowly dissipating. The Joker stood between the King and the Jack, he looked normal now, still angry, still albino, still tailed, but Francis like him better this way compared to that flickering form from something part human to something mostly demon. Something part human was much better.

"Have I made myself perfectly clear?" The Red asked, looking between the King and the Jack. He opened the Vash's gun, something only Vash should be able to do, and removed the bullets, putting them into his jacket pocket.

"Yes, messier." Francis said, "I will start drafting that letter."

Vash gave the Joker a single, kirt nod. He didn't look happy, but he seemed to have relaxed. His face was less tight and his usual scowl had lessened.

"If he doesn't write that letter, summon me with the mirror." The Joker said to Vash, waving the gun vaguely in the King's direction. "And I don't want to ever see either of you threatening each other's lives ever again. Got that?"

Vash and Francis's eye met, there was no warmth in them, but they both nodded.

"Good. I personally ensure that you will soon have a Queen." The Joker said, he walked over to Vash and handed him the gun, his voice suddenly grew lighter, less mad and more to annoyance, "If you ever try to shoot me again, I will do more than slow down time. So, just don't bother, okay?"

The Joker gave both of them another icy stare, then he vanished in a puff of red smoke. Silence again took over the throne room. Francis and Vash looked at each other, there was a silent agreement, and Vash turned and walked away, leaving the throne room through a side door. Francis waited until he was gone before standing and exiting through a different door.

He could hear the Council babbling to each other and ignored them. The back of his neck prickled, and he somehow knew the Joker was still watching him. He hurried to his office, sat down and started to write. This would make Vash happy, Antonio happy, and more importantly, the Joker happy. Francis would have been happy to never have to see the Red ever again.

 _Dear Queen Arthur, I have been enlightened and have came to the conclusion that this war is detrimental to all of us. . . . . ._

Gilbert watched the king write with some satisfaction. He had lost it there for a minute, but it seemed that he had scared them into behaving. Vash was now talking with the messenger, telling him to return to Antonio, telling him to raise the white flag. Things were going to be okay. That could have gone a lot worse, and he had heard of Jokers going all out in the past to make their point. He smiled smugly, really all he had needed to do was jump back in time a half an hour to figure out was happened, he had made it back in time to stop the Jack from shooting the King. Of course, if he had stopped to think about it, he could have arrived back a second after he left. Gilbert sighed, time travel was a pain sometimes and he used it so rarely that he was out of practice. Mostly he used his teleporting and transferal magic, but time, well you could really mess things up if you weren't careful.

There was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. At first, he was sure that an Ace had messed with something, but now he wasn't so sure. If seemed as if Vash had acted purely on his own. If an Ace had done something, they had done a very good job of hiding it and cleaning up after themselves. Gilbert hadn't been able to sense any of that wild, abnormal magic that was so common when the Aces were involved. If the Aces were still staying silent and out of his way, he was fine with that, but he knew the time would come when all four of them would confront him and it wouldn't be pretty. Being the Red, he was usually on good terms with the Red Suit Aces, Lord Opportunity of Hearts, and Madame Fortune of Diamonds. The Black Aces had he had never got along well, particularly Lady Luck of Clubs. Master Chance of Spades wasn't so bad, but there was still something about him that Gilbert didn't like. Of course, he wasn't on good terms with any of the Aces right now, not after what they had done. It was their fault the Black was gone and this horrible war was started so one sided.

The Jokers were like gods, but really they were just demons. They had a defined job and existed to serve a definitive purpose. The Aces were the real gods. They were said to have been the original four to break away from the chess continent to the east and start up the Suits. It was said that when they died, they became the protector for their favored Suit and blessed that Suit with the magic it specializes in. It was also said that it was the Aces that chose new monarchs and were the source of all magic in the world. From the four suits to the wild magic section of the continent where the Joker's castle was located, the Aces were said to have made it all, then made the Jokers to serve as sort of mediators between the gods and the people. The Aces each had their own Suit at interests, so the Jokers were meant to keep things balanced. The Aces were said to be perfect, supreme, all knowing beings. Gilbert wasn't sure how much he believed in all the things that were said, but he knew they existed. He didn't know where, he knew they had once lived, and he knew they bickered like school girls. They truly were only interested in their own Suit's success and any thoughts of fairness that they may have originally created the Jokers with was long gone. The Aces balanced out the Jokers. They each served one Suit and that Suit's magic, while the Jokers served one color of Suit and the opposite color's magic. It worked out well. The Aces focused on their own Suit, and the Jokers ensured things worked a crossed the borders, but then Opportunity, of Hearts, decided that Hearts should take charge. Fortune, of Diamonds, wouldn't have any of that and instead of letting the Jokers do their job, the Aces had taken matters into their own hands. For the first few years of the war, the Jokers were near powerless to stop the Aces, then when the Black died and the Suits were suffering, the Aces disappeared. They had told Gilbert that he should do his job now, and then they had faded into the background and Gilbert hadn't seen anything of them since then.

If the Acess did have something to do with Vash, then that would have been the first move they had made in quite a while. This upset Gilbert as he was finally getting things under control again. If the Aces planned to upset the balance again, suicide seemed tempting. Gilbert didn't like any of the Aces much, they had always struck him as self-centered and arrogant. Then again, that sort of described him too. He sometimes heard some of the prayers to the Aces, as the prayer would mention the Jokers, or have them in mind. These prayers were much more frequent than the Joker's prayers and them seemed more reverent. However, it didn't bother him, it only bothered him when the prayer would ask for some horrible thing to happen to one of the other Suits. The Aces, like the Jokers, didn't fulfill each prayer, but Gilbert suspected that the "bring your wrath down on them" sort of prayers were what made the Aces act out in the first place.

Gilbert frowned as another thought surfaced; Vash had been able to pull the gun back to him. That wasn't supposed to happen. Joker's touch usually rendered the monarch's magical items useless. How was Vash able to get the gun? Gilbert watched the King write, then a chill ran done his back. Of course, the Black! Because the Black was not around to censor the Red Suit's magic, it was stronger and wilder that usual. It wasn't being monitored, so it wasn't as affected by his own magic. This was bad, if the red monarchs figured out that their magic greatly over powered the black's, they might try to launch a magical attack to win the war before a treaty was drawn up. Gilbert knew he would have to move fast, it also now made scene why Kiku's spell had worked on him, usually none of the card's magic worked on Jokers, but Kiku had managed to break through his magic to see him. Gilbert teleported back to his own castle and changed the king of spades into a searcher. It didn't matter how much he worried, he would just have to work faster. Even if the Aces were going to mess things up again, he would try to keep things as balanced as possible.

The searcher was a blue bunny, and like the emerald bird, totally ignored him. Gilbert wasn't about to waste time following him, so he scooped the bunny up and forced it to look at him.

"I don't have time for this. I need you to tell me where to teleport us and I will have this Heir discovered my way." He said, but the bunny just glared at him. "Tell me!"

"You murderer! I will never tell you-"

Gilbert shook the bunny, "Yes you will! If you don't, I will turn you back into a card and rip you up!"

"You wouldn't-"

"Oh yes I would! I have no problem with damaging you! I control time too, remember? I could jump forward before I rip you up and find out who you would have chosen, then rip you up and go find the new king myself!" Gilbert snapped and dropped the bunny on the ground.

The bunny glared up at him, "East province."

Gilbert scooped the bunny up again and teleported them there. They arrived just outside of a town named Skip-Bo. In front of them was the town and behind them was a large lush meadow. The sun was going down now, Gilbert wasn't sure how much time had passed since he left Francis, he made a mental note to start arriving back in this world at the time he wanted to. If he kept not paying attention to that, he might mess up and arrive back, years in the future. He knew a past Red Joker had done that once. Controlling time meant time passed weirdly for him.

"There, Alfred Jones." The bunny said, pointing with a front paw a crossed the meadow, to where two blond boys sat. Gilbert didn't put the bunny down but teleported them next to the boys. One had slightly longer hair and wider, purple eyes. While the blue eyed one was taller and broader, they appeared to be another set of brothers, about fifteen years old.

"We'd better get home" The purple eyed one said, standing and brushing the dirt off of his pants.

"Wait a moment Mattie, you know they are going to make me let it go!" The other said, and Gilbert saw he was holding a sapphire colored lizard in his hands.

"Maybe its for the best, Alfred. You don't have anywhere to keep it."

"Matthew! We could keep it in a shoe box under the bed!"

"You'd better let it go."

The bunny squired in Gilbert's grip, "Show yourself to him!" The blue bunny snapped, "What are you waiting for?"

Gilbert grinned, "No we are doing this my way." He held the bunny over Alfred's lap carefully, then dropped it, releasing his magic so the boys could see it.

The bunny dropped into the boy's lap, and Allred yelped in surprise. Gilbert leaned down and put a hand on the rabbit, forcing it to preform it's magic. Alfred was engulfed in blue. When the light faded, Alfred was wearing the traditional garb of the Spaded King, a pocket watch on the ground beside him. Mathew and Alfred looked at each other.

"SO COOL! I'M KING!" Alfred whooped, jumping to his feet, "CAN YOU BELEIVE THIS?! THIS IS AMAZING!"

Gilbert picked up the pocket watched and watched in amusement as the two boys raced a crossed the meadow to the little village, shouting all the way.

Gilbert teleported to the Spades castle, careful to arrive at the same time he had left the two boys. Queen Arthur and Jack Yao were alone in their meeting room, both sitting around a large map with a number of flags sticking out of it.

"We got this letter from Kiku an hour ago, I still think it is a trap, aru." Yao was saying, "He made it clear the last time we talked, he had no intention of giving up."

"Maybe that new Jack of his changed his mind?" Arthur said, glancing over the map.

"That Jack has been in his position for five days now, do you really think he would have that much power?" Yao said doubtfully, "I can't see Kiku doing that."

"Still, after that letter from Francis, maybe this is good, I think we should go talk to Kiku." Arthur said, not looking up from the map.

Gilbert winced, five days, that meant that Diamonds had known about the Spade's Heir for two days longer than Spades did. Why did he have to let that slip?

"If you want to go, take the guard with you."

"I think I am capable of taking care of myself against a few mind readers." Arthur scoffed, but Yao frowned.

"Please do not under estimate their ability."

"It's alright, Kiku gave his word that we would not be hurt and I think he was serious about wanting peace."

"Kiku may be an honest Queen, but he is still a Queen and holds Heart's wellbeing above all else."

"Him killing me would enrage Spades and earn him an assassination. You know he would be unwilling to let anything bad happen when he has all of the Suit's monarchs in Hearts. If he did, all of the Suits would turn against Hearts." Arthur, picked up a flag from the map and moved it to the right.

"It sounds like the perfect set up, no Suit has a strong enough Council right now to control their country if the monarchs were to die. It would give Hearts the perfect opportunity to take over the whole continent!" Yao, seemed to be growing more and more irritated by his Queen's refusal to see the danger of the peace conference.

"It may be our only chance to stop this war." Arthur said, either unaware or ignoring the Jack's annoyance. "I think it is worth the risk. Besides, it's not like Hearts would try to take over the Joker's territory and the Jokers will stop any attempt to take over like that."

Yao grew tense at the idea of the Jokers and it made Gilbert pause. The Jack clearly thought the Jokers useless or didn't believe in them at all. It didn't matter to Gilbert, but it seemed to be the only hitch in the Jack and Queen's relationship.

"Alright, but I want to accompany you, along with the guard." Yao said slowly, he tone still annoyed, but he returned his attention to the map.

"Very well." Gilbert thought he sensed a slight smugness relax the Queen's stance.

It seemed that young Feliciano had convinced Kiku to stop the war. Oh good, Gilbert located Skip-Bo on the map and placing the watch on it. As his hand left it, it became visible to the two, who immediately stopped talking to look at it. Gilbert smiled, without waiting, he teleported back to his castle and shuffled the deck again. The Jack and Queen would be able to figure it out.


	4. Chapter 4

Arthur and Yao looked at the pocket watch in astonishment. It had simply appear on the table out of thin air and rested on a map over a town labeled 'Skipbo'. Both immediately recognized the watch as the one that had belonged to the last king of Spades, the watch had always been a symbol of the position but it had disappeared when the last king was killed in battle. Originally it was amused that a Clubs soldier had taken it but, when the war had ended and it became known that all of the various objects related to the monarchy of all kingdoms had been missing, many said that the Jokers had taken them. There where those who were sceptical and thought that other kingdoms had stolen the artifacts and just said that their own was missing to seem inocent. Neither the Queen or Jack had ever shared their opinions on the matter but now that the watch sat on the table as if it had always been there, they both where quietly questioning their sanity.

Arthur leaned forward and examined the watch, without touching it. He waved a hand over it and mutter a quiet spell, then he straightened, "Well, it is real."

Yao moved forward and carefully picked it up by the chain, he let it dangle and turn slowly. The polished surface seemed good as new but, they could both see that the hands where still, "This changes things, aru, we will have to start looking for the new king."

Arthur shook his head unbelieving, "How will we know who it is?"

"The clock will tell us." Yao seemed to collect his wits and he turned to Arthur, "Can you manage things here while I travel to Skipbo? I doubt it is a coincidence that it appeared there."

Arthur nodded, "Of course, but what about the meeting at Hearts?"

"If I move fast, then maybe both the new king and I will be back in time, other wise, you will have to go alone." Yao said and he started toward the door. "Be sure you take the guard with you."

"I am going to check the mirror and see if I can contact the Jokers." Arthur said quickly.

Yao stopped and for a moment was silent, the Jokers had not made an appearance for year. Even before the war, Yao had never seen either the Black or the Red. Yao wasn't sure that he believed in the Jokers anymore, he hadn't prayed in years and nothing had happened to suggest their existence until now. However, he knew that there was real magic in the world, Arthur used it and his own symbol of his position, his sword, used it as well. The Joker's Land was full of wild magic and no one who ever entered that accursed forest never came out. If there were Jokers, Yao had always thought they would be more sensitive than to let the forest were they were supposed to live kill people. Finally, he glanced back at his young Queen, "I think that is a good idea aru. Now, if you will excuse me."

Arthur watched Yao leave and the familiar feeling of uselessness filled him. Yao didn't seem to really need him. Yao had been Jack since before the war, and Arthur had been discovered as an Heir a year earlier. However, when he had been discovered, the last Queen still was alive. Arthur was lucky that she had been able to teach him and train him for the job before the phenomena killed her. Yao was so efficient and Arthur wasn't. Yao was good at helping him with the Queen's duties when he needed it, but his inexperience made him rather redundant on the days when Yao was Jack, King and Queen. He had felt more and more useless as the war dragged on. He was sixteen, no experience with war and little with politics. He missed his family, and this weight of is incompetence was a nuisance. He pushed it away and made his way to his private office. The prospect of having a king both frightened and excited him, he and Yao had split the duties that would have normally be taken up by a king. Still, his inexperience got in the way so it was mostly Yao taking the job of the King. He and Yao worked together well, a king might really change the dynamics of the castle, on the other hand there would be less work for all.

Arthur had not tried to contact the Jokers for a while now, they never answered and their silence was frustrating. In a small chamber behind the thrones, there was a quiet little sitting room with a large mirror handing against one wall. The room was never used and it was off limits to everyone in the castle but the king, queen, and jack, in fact, not many people were aware of its existence. Arthur didn't like the room but, he didn't know why. It was as nicely decorated as his personal quarters but the room gave him an unsettling feeling, like it didn't want him to be there. However, this room had the mirror and the mirror was his connection to the Jokers.

Arthur locked the door behind him and approached the mirror; it was the size of a door and had a carved red and black frame that clashed with blue spades theme of the castle. He had never known what to expect, but the diaries of former queens said that either the Joker would appear to him or he would be able to walk through the mirror to the Joker's home, castle thing. All of the diary entries said to pray, so he reached out and touched the cool surface of the mirror and spoke a prayer out loud, "Jokers, please hear me and guild me. Black help Spades, help us find our king." Arthur paused in thought, "And please make sure his or she is not a prick. Black Joker please come before me and speak, we need to talk."

As with every time he had tried this before, nothing happened. Arthur sighed and looked at his reflection in the mirror, he looked like a scared, tired boy. He guessed that was what he really was. Queen hood had not been kind to him, he wasn't popular with the people, he never saw his family anymore, his Council spent all of their time arguing, and Diamonds was a horrible ally. Arthur was tired of it all. He wanted an end to the fighting and he wanted to get Spades back to the way it was when he was young. Spades the intellectual center, the leader in medical studies, the home of the inventors, Spade the great. Not Spades the battle torn, weary, and beaten. He turned back the room to leave and barley stopped himself from shrieking-a young man sat at the little sitting table, but Arthur hadn't seen him there a moment ago in the mirror. He looked back and forth from the room to the mirror; the sitting table in the mirror was empty but the real one defiantly had a person sitting there. Not just any person either, this person had a pair of horns and a tail, more of a demon than person really.

"Excuse me! What are you doing here?" Arthur asked when the person didn't seem to notice him standing there. For the first time, Arthur noticed a disturbance in the magic around him. It was a slight change and grew stronger as he cautiously approached the person. It was almost as if the person was radiating magic, but it was a magic that Arthur was unfamiliar with.

The individual turned and Arthur could see that his eyes were an unnerving shade of red, in sharp contrast to his pale complexion and white hair.

"You said you wanted to talk, but I can go if you want." his tone was indignant as if he were doing Arthur a favor.

"Are you the Black?" Arthur asked in astonishment. It made sense, this weird magic coming off of the person in waves did feel a little like the magic that sometimes wandered into Spades from the Joker's Territory.

The person looked annoyed, "No. I'm the Red. Do you want to talk or not?"

Arthur couldn't tell it he was being sarcastic but, it was undeniable that the diaries described the Jokers as demon-like, "Yes!" Arthur said quickly, "I want to talk!"

Arthur made his way over and sat down in one of the chairs facing the Joker, that weird magic was particularly distinct here. He cleared his throat nervously, "We need to find our king as soon as possible."

"Yes. You do." The Joker agreed but his tone implied that he thought this was a wasted statement.

"Will you tell us who it is?" Arthur asked carefully.

"No, I already gave you the location. Telling you out right would be unfair to the other suits." The Joker spoke easily and quickly.

"Why did you decide to speak to me now? Why not when I called before?" Arthur asked

The Joker shrugged carelessly, "I was occupied by other things then, I always made sure that your situation got better though."

This was news to Arthur, "How so?" he was trying very hard not to sound rude and he was failing.

"You called the Black during the Siege of Triple Ace and although he did not answer, food and weapons were able to get through to the defenders." If the Joker took offence by Arthur's tone and doubt, he didn't show it.

"But, we lost that! The Clubs took Triple Ace two weeks later!" Arthur cried indignantly, the diaries never mentioned the Jokers being so unhelpful. In fact, the diaries usually talked about the Black being willing to listen politely and give advice.

The Joker's red eyes held Arthur's green and his face remained careless, "Has it ever occurred to you that maybe the Clubs were praying for Triple Ace as well?" the Joker let his statement hang in the air for a moment before continuing, "It was a perfectly balanced fight. You lost ground but not may people. Clubs lost lots of people and gained the ground." The Joker's tone turned cocky and sarcastic, "Would you have rather no movement and both sides loose thousands of lives? Well, I will be sure to check up this his Highness next time I plan on doing my job."

Arthur tried again to keep his rage in check and again failed, "Is that what you do? Keep everything balanced and fair? Then how did that bloody war get started in the first place? It was not fair or balanced! What happened there? You mess up?"

Again the Joker's tone became emotionless, but he held Arthurs gaze, "Yes. We messed up and the Aces deiced to try and help which made things worse. Immortals should never get involved in policies. However, I did not come here to be reprimanded by little boys. Did you actually want something or am I wasting my time?"

Arthur looked away and glared at the door, he didn't feel like there was anything he wanted to say to this twit but, a Joker was a Joker and even if it meant humbling himself, he needed this guy's help. He took a deep breath, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be a critic. I need to know what to demand be included in the treaty and how to get Spades in the best position it can be."

The Joker smiled, "Don't demand anything. Make propositions and be willing to negotiate. I can't tell you what to say, but know that I will arrange most of the outcome of the treaty. If you want Spades to come out well off, keep your new king quiet and try to get along with everyone."

"That was already the plan!" Arthur said, annoyed again.

The Joker stood and shrugged, "Well then I am glad could inforce it for you. The new royalty should be enough to keep peace though."

"Are the other suits finding heirs too?" Arthur asked quickly.

"Yep. Only two to go." The Joker grinned, "Well, technically three but you don't need to worry about that. Good luck." The Joker gave Arthur a mocking bow and vanished in a puff of red smoke.

Gilbert left the Queen and teleported directly to the Diamonds capital, turning the queen of diamonds into a searcher, the little yellow goat looked at Gilbert without saying a word and trotted off in the direction of the main square of the capital. A large fountain was in the middle of the square and a blonde girl, who looked suspiciously like Vash, sat there reading. The square was nearly empty, so no one but the Joker saw the goat rub up against the girl, the yellow light, and the transformation of a girl into a queen. He picked up the bouquet of flowers that had laid beside her as she stared at her clothes in astonishment. Gilbert teleported to Francis's office without loosing any time.

The room was richly adorned with golds, yellows, and oranges. The warm, late afternoon sun came streaming in through large windows and gave the room a soft, relaxing glow. The room was small but the space was effectively used and pleasing to the eye. The center of the room consisted of a large mahogany desk covered with papers and a set of cautioned chairs facing the desk. Book shelves lined with volumes of varying topic filled one of the walls and vases of fresh flowers where randomly arranged on the window sills and small tables. In a high backed caution chair behind the desk sat a blonde teen of about seventeen years, gazing out the windows and into the lovely garden below. The yellow and orange flowers seemed like jewels and the pond was a mirror of the sky above. However, the youth did not see any of this, not the room or the garden. He was looking at the pretty, young gardeners who were watering the flowers outside.

The tranquility was shattered as the door burst open and Vash entered looking displeased. He took in the room instantly and snapped, "Your Majesty!"

"Didn't I tell you to just call me Francis?" Was the king's mild reply as he turned to look at his jack, who stood tensely in the door way. "Can I help you Vash?"

Vash stalked into the room and started sorting through the papers littering the desk. "Don't you have something you need to be doing right now? Don't these still need signatures? Have you reviewed the plan for the new irrigation system? Did you read the letters from Queen Elizabeta and Jack Yao?" Vash spoke quickly and politely but his annoyance was not hidden. "I see you didn't write to Queen Kiku yet about the-"

"Take it easy!" Francis interrupted, turning back to the window, "Everything is hectic right now and I think that what everyone really needs is to relax." Unlike Vash, he spoke slowly and without concern.

Neither of them had mentioned the scene with the Red three days before. Since then, they had got a letter from Hearts, requesting a peace treaty meeting and somehow, everything was suddenly falling in to place. The Joker's terrifying visit seemed to have blessed them. There was no need to discuss it, they both understood what needed to be done and if anything, they were working together better than they ever had before. However, that didn't seem to compensate for their polar opposite personalities.

"Your Highness! You don't need to relax! You need to do your job!" Vash put a pile of papers directly in front of Francis, "You are king after all! I can't do it all for you! I am already trying to do the queen's job as well as my own!"

Francis sighed and said mildly, "It doesn't really matter what I do. Diamonds is the best off of the kingdoms after the war since our losses weren't as horrid as they could have been. Wait a little and everything will work itself out." Francis smiled and waved unabashed as one of the gardeners noticed him staring.

Vash shook his head and forced the papers into his king's hands. "Don't have such childish confidence in people." He said snapped then his face seemed to fall and he continued softly, "We lost all of our monarchs and so many soldiers and so much land was destroyed. Even if compared to the other kingdoms it wasn't bad, it still hurt a lot." Small moments like this had been common ever since the Red's visit, as if they were somehow tied closer now. Vash was silent a moment before becoming cold and stern again, "Now. Do your job, your highness! We still are without a queen and solid treaties!"

Vash did not wait for a reply, but swept out of the room and vanished down the hall beyond. Francis watched him go soberly and looked glumly at the papers. He replaced them gingerly on his desk as though Vash could here him not reading them. He returned his attention to the gardeners and let his mind wander from what he was supposed to be thinking about.

Undenounced to him, a silent, unseen individual had watched the whole episode in the corner. Now, he stepped forward. Gilbert was pretty pleased with himself and was happy to see that now the Diamonds and Spades would have all of their monarchs. He places a bouquet of yellow and orange flowers on the young king's desk. The moment he let go of them, they became visible to the king. He had had enough time to find the card for the Queen of Diamonds before King Arthur had summoned him, this meant all he had left was the King of Clubs, the King of Hearts, and the Black Joker. Although he wasn't entirely sure how to find the last.

Francis yelped at the sudden appearance then paused and examined the flowers. A tag was attached to them that said "Little Sister". He picked the flowers up and smelled them thn stood and went to address the guard at the door of the office, "Please get Vash and tell him that we may be having a Queen soon."

The guard hurried off and Francis returned to his desk, gazing at the flowers thoughtfully. Gilbert watched him carefully from a corner, the young king reminded him of someone he once knew, a long time when he was alive. Maybe? He couldn't remember. Just then, Vash returned like a storm.

"A Queen? What?" Vash snapped then caught sight of the flowers, a bouquet was the symbol of the Queen of Diamond's office and had disappeared when the last queen died, Vash paused and leaned over the desk to look at them, "Are you sure those are the right ones?"

"Flowers don't just randomly appear on desks, Vash" Francis replied mildly and flipped the card so he could read it again, "Does 'Little Sister' mean anything to you?" `

"I have a little sister but, so do you and half of the country. If those two words are supposed to help us find the queen, we are in for a long search." Vash replied emotionlessly.

"That isn't fair! I'd think that the Joker would at least give us a search area!" Francis sighed with frustration and leaned back in his chair.

Vash looked at the flowers silently for a moment, "Maybe the Red did, since there is no location hinted toward, maybe the queen is here in the capital. It would make sense to start looking closer to here since we need to leave for Hearts soon and I am sure the Joker knew that."

Francis nodded thoughtfully, "Right, I will make arrangements for finding all younger sisters in the capital and you keep up the arrangements for going to Hearts."

"No." Vash snapped and pointed at the unread pile of papers accusingly, "You need to finish those, then write a few letters, then sign a few documents. Once you have written Queen Kiku, I will arrange for the trip to Hearts, til then I will look for the Queen." Vash picked up the bouquet and left without another word.

Francis stared after him almost dejectedly, "I think you are just keeping me from having any fun!"

Gilbert laughed and teleported himself back to his own castle, he was sure that Vash would be able to find her pretty easily; in fact Gilbert was sure she would be the first person he checked. Vash's little sister, Lili, should be enough to keep Diamonds peaceful and might even keep the peace between Francis and Vash. Gilbert had other things to do though; he needed to find the Heart's and Club's missing kings now.

 **Wow, sorry about the late update. Almost have all of the royalty! Sorry Lili's section wasn't very long, she will show up again later. I'm not sure what else to say . . . . .**

 **Please Review! I want to know what people think of this and if I should continue writing!**


	5. Chapter 5

Gilbert shuffled the deck and decided to try his luck and finding both kings at the at the same time. He drew two cards and put them down on the table in front of him. He flipped them over at the same time. One was blank, the other the king of Clubs. Well, that was better than nothing. Still, maybe he could make this work. Gilbert put the blank card back and reshuffled the deck, then he again removed a card from the center of the deck. King of Hearts.

Gilbert grinned and put it in his pocket, folding the king of clubs and turning it into the searcher. A green hamster emerged. Gilbert glared at it and it glared back.

"Need I threaten you?" Gilbert asked.

"Northern border." The hamster squeaked.

Gilbert scooped the hamster up and teleported them to the border. It was snowing already here, winter set in early. Only a few feet away from them, a boy sat on a stump, looking glum and cold.

"Him?" Gilbert asked, looking doubtfully at the shivering form.

"Yes." The hamster said.

"We are doing this my way." Gilbert said, letting his tone slip into a threatening register.

"Yes." The hamster seemed to be pained to say it, but it looked at the boy with a curious interest.

"I wish I had at least one friend."

"Huh?" Gilbert looked up at the boy, he was drawing in the snow with a stick, apparently talking to himself.

"A friend would be nice, no?" The boy spoke with a heavy northern accent and was heavy set. Now that Gilbert looked at him, he looked older than Gil had originally thought, maybe fifteen or sixteen?

Gilbert dropped the hamster, it glared at him then walked over the snow to the boy. The boy looked up at the hamster and smiled.

"Huh? Do you happen to be alone like I am?" The boy leaned down, offering his hands to the hamster and smiled, "Come here, don't you want to be friends?"

The hamster looked up at the boy for a moment, then glanced back at Gilbert with an evil rodent look. It slapped the boy's hand, but that was enough to activate the magic. When the light faded the boy was dressed in the green robs of the Club's King and looked astonished. The boy stared at his clothing and Gilbert stepped forward, picking up the cane that served as the symbol of the Club's King. Gilbert started to walk away, looking the cane over. It was shaped like a lead pipe, but he knew it was really a sword. A sword-cane shaped like a pipe, that was confusing and it had always struck Gilbert as a weird object to represent a king. Oh well, now just the king of hearts, and of course the black joker.

"Where are you going?"

Gilbert froze, then turned slowly. The boy was staring at him with wide purple eyes.

"Huh?" Gilbert said, starting back in astonishment. The kid could see him? What? How?

"Where are you going?" The boy repeated, "And where did you come from?"

"I'm, uh, going to go tell the Jack were you are and I came from my home?" Gilbert was having a hard time not gawking at the boy, having Kiku with a spell to see him was one thing, but this boy just, well, saw him. Something was so wrong with this that Gilbert was having a hard time wrapping his head around it.

"Why? You could just stay here with me. You don't know what might be out there in the woods, there are some not nice people out here." The boy sounded earnest and kind, like he was trying to be helpful, but something about his demeanor put the Joker on edge. "You could stay here and be my friend."

"You are the next king of Clubs, I am the Red Joker, neither of us really have time to be friends." Gilbert said, unsure of how to react and still unnerved by the kid.

"You are like a snowflake, so white and fleeting." The kid sounded almost dreamy, he stood and Gilbert was surprised by his height, maybe he wasn't fifteen, maybe more like nineteen. The boy towered over him and smiled. Fleeting? Was the kid threatening him?

Gilbert took a few steps back, mentally willing the boy to not see him, but the boy continued to stare at him with that eerie smile. "Hey, look I'm sorry but I need to go. The Jack will-"

"Could you just take me to the Jack?" The boy asked, he seemed totally relaxed and continued to smile down at Gilbert, totally unfazed by his situation.

Maybe he was hyperthermia, or hypothermic, or what ever it was called when people got too cold. Gilbert found himself fighting a fear that he hadn't felt since he had become a Joker. Being the Red had meant balance, and control, but the kid made Gilbert scared and his magic didn't seem to effect him.

"What's your name?" Gilbert asked slowly, backing up a few more steps. He could feel the cane-sword thing dead in his hands, so he knew his magic was still working on it, but the boy hadn't heard him or been able to see him before the searcher had activated his powers. Did the searcher do something that messed with things?

"Ivan. What's your name?" Ivan asked, he seemed almost thrilled that Gilbert had asked.

"I'm the Red Joker. The Red." Gilbert said, he wracked his brain for a way to resolve this without using magic on the boy and without just teleporting away. Gilbert wasn't about to run away from some moral, even if he was creepy.

"You must have a name though, Red is just a title." Ivan said.

"A name implies an identity, I am more a position than a person. I live what I do and do what I am. I had a name once, but I don't use it now. I am the Red and that is all." Gilbert was rambling, but the boy had started to slowly walk forward, making Gilbert step back yet again.

"What was your name?"

"Why do you care?"

"I want to be your friend."

"No you don't."

The boy stopped looking crestfallen, and looked at the ground, "I do want to be your friend, Snowflake."

"Snowflake?" Part of Gilbert believed him, but part of him was yelling that something was wrong with this picture, something was off.

"Can I call you Snowflake?" The boy sounded hopeful and he looked up with wide eyes at the Joker.

"Sure, whatever." Gilbert looked over Ivan again, he kept thinking "boy" because of the childishness and the timid, hopeful tone and expression of the guy; however the guy was taller and broader than Gilbert. Then Gil understood what was so strange about all this. The guy's voice and expressions were shy, almost uncertain, but his stance was confident and sure. What he sounded like and what his face said was not what the rest of his body said. Ivan was being manipulative, but for what purpose, Gilbert wasn't sure. Then there was still the problem that he could see Gilbert.

"You are just like snow. You are so pale and your hair is white and you are so cold." Ivan said, he sounded thoughtful now, but continued to smile.

"I'm not cold, I'm just trying to do my job." Gilbert looked over Ivan, checking to see if he was right. Yes, his body langnege said confidence, like he was in control of the situation, but his childish face and voice were kind and gentle.

"Can you take me to the Jack?"

Gilbert knew that the old Black would probably not hesitate to take Ivan to the capital, but a nagging voice in the back of Gilbert's mind was screaming not to. He wasn't sure what else was so unnerving about Ivan, but Gilbert had a sudden dislike of him.

"No, I will take this to him and tell him where you are." Gilbert said.

"Oh," Again, Ivan looked crest fallen, but he nodded, "Do whatever you think is best Snowflake. Will I see you again?"

Gilbert shrugged, "Maybe, maybe not." Gilbert looked at Ivan one last time, red eyes locking with violet, the childishness had vanished from Ivan and suddenly Gilbert had an unsettling feeling that he had met Ivan before. When he was alive maybe? No, he didn't recall ever coming this far north in Clubs when he had lived. Still, there was something there, something that reminded him of someone he may have known. Gilbert teleported to the Clubs Castle.

Rodrich found the King's cane on his desk with a compass. A book called "Far North" lay in the path of the compass arrow.

"Toris! I need another set of coaches!"

Gilbert returned to his castle. He sat in his throne and stared at the empty room before him. Ivan bothered him. No, Ivan totally crept him out. Totally derailed him. How could Ivan see him? Why was he trying to seem unthreatening? What did this mean for Clubs? Was it Gilbert? Was his magic failing him? Was it the Aces? Did Luck mess with Ivan? More likely, one of the other Aces messed with him. What was he supposed to do?

Maybe Ivan wasn't really a problem and Gil was just over reacting, but part of him was screaming to go back and kill the guy before he ruined everything. No. That would be over stepping his bounds, if he did that he would have to go kill one of the monarchs from Diamonds to keep things balanced. Things were going too well for something like that. Maybe Ivan was just acting weird from shock or the cold. Maybe Ivan wasn't a problem and just overly magically sensitive. Maybe Gilbert was overreacting. Yes, he was defiantly over reacting. Ivan would be a great king, he had Rodrich behind him and Elizabeta. Clubs would be fine. Everything would be fine.

Gilbert took the king of hearts out of his pocket without getting up and changed it into the searcher. The pink and red dog looked at him and placed it's big head on his leg, looking up at him with chocolate eyes. For a moment, they just sat there, looking at each other in the stillness of the Joker's Throne Room.

"It's okay Red." The dog said softly. The searcher had no way of knowing what had just happened in Clubs, but all of the Red magics could sense Gilbert's emotions and seemed to be aware and concerned for his general well being. "Things are almost all done. It will be okay."

Gil smiled at the dog and stroked it's head, "I sure hope so. The monarchs and the treaty is just the beginning. If I can keep the kingdoms alive through the winter, then yes, everything will be okay."

"You won't be alone."

"What?"

"The Black, the Black will be found soon."

Gilbert didn't know how the searcher would know something like that, but it made sense. The Red magics were controlled by the Black, if a new Black was arising then they must be feeling themselves being suppressed. Gilbert nodded, "I hope so. I won't be able to keep this up much longer, especially if the Aces show up again."

"They won't, they are scared of what they have done. They didn't mean to hurt the kingdoms." The dog stood and trotted down the raised platform, "Com'on, we don't have time to wait around."

"I control time, we have all the time in the world." Gilbert said, not bothering to get up from his throne.

"You will want to be there for this Heir." The dog said, "He is someone you know, I think it's kind of ironic really."

"Who is it?" Gilbert sat up a little straighter, all thoughts of Ivan and the coming of winter vanished.

"His name is Ludwig Beilschmidt."

"My brother?"

 **Sorry this chapter is so short! This was surprisingly hard to write, I didn't want to make Ivan a bad guy, but it just worked out like that.**

 **Please Review! Pretty Please!**


	6. Chapter 6

Ludwig flipped through the newspaper and sighed. Nothing new. He looked up and saw that the square was empty and the sun sinking; there was no way he would be able to sell the rest of the papers now. He stood and picked up the remaining stack and started in the direction of the butcher's shop, Hercules was fond of Ludwig and might buy the rest of the papers for wrapping the next day's meat in. He met no one as he quietly navigated the dimming streets and was mildly annoyed by it. Where was everyone? Ludwig experimentally reached out with the little magic he possessed, but the flame in his chest quickly died and left him feeling exhausted. Most people had magic, but Ludwig had managed to be one of the few with a very weak spark and he had very little control over it. Sure, Ludwig had used it every now and then to convince a customer that they really did want to buy a newspaper, but he couldn't maintain it for long.

Magic like that in Spades and Clubs wasn't always all that useful in day to day life, but mental magic was terribly useful for domestic and everyday interaction with people. Most people used it to keep the peace between themselves and those around them. Hearts was supposed to be the nicest of the four kingdoms to live, not because the people were significantly nicer to each other, but because the people were much better at getting along and working their problems out. The extent of Ludwig's magic was his ability to strengthen or weaken an emotion. When he ran into a customer who was agitated or too busy to care about the news, Ludwig would try to dampen the person's agitation and strengthen their curiosity, however he could not do both at the same time or for very long. He knew that Diamond's was much better at this sort of magic, but they specialized in Thoughts mostly. Heart's specialty was Memory, which included emotions, some perception, and past experience. Of course, both Red Suits could do any kind of Mental magic, but it was their specialties that set them apart. There were exception, like Queen Kiku who , Ludwig had heard, could read minds like a Diamond.

Hercules's shop wasn't far from the square, and the big butcher was just locking up the door when Ludwig walked up. Ludwig tapped gently on the glass to get his attention and Hercules reopened the door.

"Hey, do you need any more paper?" Ludwig asked, hefting up his stack of newspapers for the butcher to see.

"No." Hercules said slowly, looking at the papers emotionlessly, "Did you forget you were supposed to sell them?"

"Well, not really, I just wanted to read them." Ludwig said, trying to sound justified.

"Won't the group home be upset with you if you don't bring money back?" Hercules said.

"Probably not, they've been pretty relaxed about that lately. The draft sort of emptied the place out of all the older kids." Ludwig shifted the papers, "The press with be upset with me though."

"Well, I guess I could buy them." Hercules said and turned back into his shop, Ludwig followed him and looked around curiously.

"So, how's' business?"

"Slow. The cats keep showing up though."

Ludwig turned and looked out the now open front door. Sure enough, a group of at least ten feline heads could now be seen watching the door carefully, "Are you going to do anything about them?"

Hercules looked up too, "No, I like them. They are so cute." Hercules stopped what he was doing and walked to he door to pet one of the cats, "I wish I could take them all home with me."

"Where would you put them?" Ludwig asked, leaning down to pet another of them.

"I don't know, but it would be nice to have them all around." Hercules stood, as if remembering that he needed to pay Ludwig and reached into his pocket, "Here, you'd best be going before it gets too late. You might miss dinner."

"Thank you!" Ludwig said as he took the money and put the newspapers down. He moved past the butcher and the cats back out into the street and waved as he walked away. Hercules was a good guy, but really strange. He was the calmest, most down to earth guy that Ludwig knew. Hercules had been a soldier once, and Ludwig didn't know what happened or why the guy was a butcher now. It wasn't really his business.

Ludwig picked up speed, shoving the money into his pocket, he had to get to the press before they closed, then he could go home.

The press was already closed when he got there, lights off and dark, but the foreman's son sat on the front steps. He rose when he saw Ludwig run up, "What took so long? I, like, had to wait here while dinner has gone cold! Not cool dude!"

"Sorry Feliks. I had to sell the last of them." Ludwig said as he pulled out the money from the day and gave it to the other boy.

"Wow, did you sell all of them?" Feliks looked impressed, despite himself, "You know you are the only one who manages to sell all of them every single day? That's, like, crazy!"

Ludwig took the complement without comment and waited for Feliks to count out the money. Feliks was about the polar opposite of Hercules, he was erratic, self centered, and Ludwig had never thought he was very bright.

"Here!" Feliks handed Ludwig his share for the day, "See you tomorrow, okay?"

"Ya, bye." Ludwig said as he turned and started off again.

"Yeah! Hey! Don't be going around looking so glum all the time Lud!" Feliks yelled after him, "You're like, totally bring me down here!"

Ludwig didn't turn, but raised a hand in farewell and continued on his way. The streets were cloaked in shadows and almost totally deserted. Ludwig could remember when he was young and the streets would be full of collage kids off to party or set up pranks for each other. Now all of the collage kids had been drafted and although Hearts was doing pretty well economically, Ludwig knew that with all of the working age people fighting, it wasn't long before Hearts would start to fail. On the outside, Hearts looked fine, but it was slowly collapsing from the inside.

Ludwig had tried twice now to sign up for the military. He looked older than he was, and no one had questioned his age. Both times, something had happened, and his application had been rejected without any explanation as to why. Ludwig was now sixteen, legal age to register, and he intended to try again in the following week. Nothing was going to keep him from fighting for his kingdom. Whatever they kept messing up in the office, Ludwig was going to ensure they let him register. There was no reason not to; he was a healthy, well built boy with experience shooting and with a sword. He could take orders and could read and write. There was nothing that would make him ineligible, and lately they had been taking almost anyone who could write their name down and could pull a trigger. Ludwig knew he would do well in the military, he had wanted to join even before the war.

The group home Ludwig lived at was dark when he arrived. The back door was unlocked and a plate sat on the kitchen counter for him. He didn't bother heating it up or turning the lights on as he sat at the table and ate. He had lived here for three years now. His father had died when he was very young and his older brother not long after that. Three years ago, his mother volunteered as a nurse for the war and was currently stationed somewhere on the Spades boarder. He got letters from her occasionally, and he knew she was far enough from the fighting to not be in much danger. Ludwig didn't mind the group home, his story was pretty much the same as all of the other kids who lived here and it was better than some. Everyone had dead family, everyone was doing the best they could and Ludwig was grateful for how fortunate he had been. Not only was his mother alive and well, getting into a group home was better than being on the street and his brother had ensured that their old house had been sold to a noble, so Ludwig had quite a bit of money in the bank if he ever needed it. Oh right, his brother. Gilbert had died when he was sixteen and had been chosen as the next Red Joker. Ludwig didn't understand how all of that worked, but it was sort of cool that his dead brother was really immortal and controlled the kingdoms. It was also really a pain since he knew Gilbert ought to be doing something about the war, and it sure didn't seem like he was. Ludwig had been too young to really remember Gilbert when he was alive, but as he grew older, it was just taken for granted that Gilbert was a demon thing and only available occasionally. Ludwig thought this was probably weird, but it was all he had ever known.

Ludwig cleaned his dishes, dried them and put them away. He went to bed and lay in the darkness, thinking. He had prayed to a lot Gilbert when he was young and sometimes Gilbert would appear, sometimes bring Gabriel, the Black, with him. As Ludwig got older, he stopped praying and Gilbert had slowly stopped coming to visit. The last time they had seen each other had been before the beginning of the war. Gilbert had been stressed out and distracted, not his usual sarcastic, arrogant self. He had been alone, then Gabriel had appeared, and the two and gone off together without explanation. That was years ago. Ludwig hadn't prayed since then, expect for a few weeks ago. It had been a bad day and the group home had just gotten news that another one of the boys that had stayed here had died. Ludwig had been sad, mad, and frustrated. The two main care takes had been talking about how hard things in Hearts would get with no working class people and only one monarch. The only option was to pull out of the war. The support for the war had dwindled as more and more condolence letters from commanders came in, but Ludwig was sure Hearts could still win. If only he could help fight, he was only one person, but every person holding a gun at the front was hopefully one less person holding the gun with a Spades or Diamonds uniform.

There was a squeak of bed springs from the other side of the room as some one moved on their cot. Ludwig sighed. He had prayed a few weeks ago and it seemed his prayer had been answered. Gilbert hadn't come to see him, but that didn't matter. Hearts now had a Jack who was a strong advocate for peace. This new Jack, Feliciano, had even convinced Queen Kiku to call for a peace treaty to be written here in Hearts. In the past few days, fighting had stopped and the leaders of the other kingdoms were supposed to be arriving in the next week to decided on peace. Ludwig wanted to fight, but he had prayed for peace. He wanted to fight, but fighting was hurting Hearts and that hurt him more than he'd like to admit. Hearts was the best kingdom, and it was almost on its knees. Heart's pride was failing, and Ludwig hated to see that. He did want to fight, but more than that, he wanted Hearts to be the best it possibly could be. Ludwig sighed again, he was tired of all the stress. He closed his eyes and let sleep take over.

Ludwig looked around, he didn't know where he was. The hall was covered in blue and black drapes, a spades crest hung on a silk banner on the wall. People in blue and white uniforms moved around him without noticing him and continued to go about their business. However, there was an urgency to their movement, a tension and maybe a hint of fear hung in the air. Ludwig started walking and suddenly, a blonde boy, not much older than him, burst out of one of the door in the hallway, the servant scattered in all directions and were gone even before he started yelling.

"YOU DON'T THINK?!" His face was red, and he turned sharply to look at the two men who followed him calmly out of the door, "YOU DON'T THINK HE IS GOING TO LIVE?! WELL, THEN MAKE SURE HE DOES!"

"I'm very sorry, your majesty, I do not have the equipment here to help him." The shorter of the two men said, his face and tone emotionless.

"THEN GET IT!" The young man yell, he stalked up to the man and his voice dropped to a threatening tone, "You are supposed to be the best doctors in the kingdoms, you bloody better keep him alive."

"There is nothing we can do." The man said, he spoke levelly, without speeding up or looking away from the young man in front of him, "You can threaten us, you can send us back to Clubs, you can send us to the Board, you can send us to the Joker's Territory, you can have us killed as conspirators against the crown, you can throw us in jail, and there will still be nothing we can do for him."

It was as if the color drained out of the younger man. He seemed to fold inwardly and stood frozen for a moment, staring at the doctor. Slowly, he straightened and stepped back. He swayed slightly, the commanding air gone and leaving behind a lost, frightened boy.

"I am sorry, Doctor, for my out burst." The boy said, staring at the doctor without seeing him, "I was out of line. Please do everything you can to keep him comfortable. You and your companions may stay in the castle as long as you wish."

"Thank you, your majesty." The two men bowed and silently moved back into the room they had come from.

Ludwig watched as the boy slowly sank to his knees and started to cry. Sobs wracked his body and Ludwig slowly approached him and reached out to touch the boy on the shoulder. His hand passed through the boy without any resistance.

"Arthur?" The tentative voice echoed down the hallway, causing both Ludwig and the boy to look up sharply. At the end of the hall, another blonde boy in fine blue clothing approached. "Are you okay? What's going on?"

Ludwig stepped back as Arthur stood and turned away from the new comer. "I'm fine, please go back to your studies. Yao and I need you educated before you can take over your duties as King."

"Arthur, what ever it is, it's going to be okay."

Arthur scowled at the ground, but only Ludwig could see it, "Please go Alfred."

"I'm here for you. I want to help." Alfred said, then slowly walked away.

Almost the moment he was gone, the door the doctors had entered opened again. A tall red headed man followed one of the doctors out. Neither of them looked at Arthur, but Arthur reached out, gently touching the man's shoulder.

The man flinched away and gave Arthur a look of pure hatred, then continued on his way. Arthur watched them go, more tears spilling out of his bloodshot eyes.

Ludwig woke with a start.

What on earth was that? What a dream. That was weird. What was that? Spades kingdom? Queen Arthur and King Alfred? Someone dying? What?

Ludwig looked around, it was early morning and no one else was awake yet. He got up and started to get dressed, he wanted to move fast so he could get to the newspaper press before everyone else and maybe sell all of his papers early. The dream lingered with him, but it grew fuzzier each second that passed. Clarity and details grew vague and the events melted together in his mind. He knew it was weird, it was probably the strangest dream he had ever had and he had no clue what to think of it. However, it faded and by breakfast, the only thing he remembered was that it was ridiculously weird.

Ludwig did manage to sell all of his papers early, so he had the rest of the day free. He spent some time helping Hercules then wandered aimlessly around the town. Finally, he returned to the group home, but it was nearly empty as everyone was out working. He sat on his bed and pulled out one of the few books from under the mattress. Strategic Chess. Ludwig had once fancied himself very good at chest, but he had been working so much lately, he hadn't played often and he knew he was getting rusty.

"It pains me to not see you in school."

Ludwig looked up and glanced around the empty room. Sitting on one of the other beds was Gilbert. Gilbert the dead brother. Gilbert the Red Joker. Gilbert who Ludwig hadn't seen in years.

"You never made it through school." Ludwig said evenly.

Gilbert shrugged, "I regret it. School was boring and I was a terror, but it is useful. I wish I had gotten the chance to get a degree or something."

"Why are you here?" Ludwig couldn't help but let his voice grow cold. It was like Gilbert to act like nothing was wrong, but did crazy things like time travel, the least he could have done was drop by.

"You've grown up a lot." Gilbert said, looking over Ludwig with a smile, "I heard your prayer the other day."

"Ya, why are you here?" Ludwig repeated, "You seriously think that I'm okay with you vanishing for years on end? Mother is worried sick about you and she's off at war right now!"

"I know." Gilbert said easily, as if he didn't hear the anger in Ludwig's voice, "I've made sure she's safe and I made sure that you got into this home." Gilbert shrugged, "I've just been really busy."

"And you aren't busy now? How does that work out?" Ludwig said, "Now that peace treaties are almost upon us, you suddenly have time to drop by? Don't you make time or travel in time or something?"

"Well, making time is impossible, but-"

"I don't even care Gil!" Ludwig snapped, standing and glaring at the Joker, "I don't even care why you didn't visit or write or whatever! I know that you aren't supposed to have preferences in the Red Suits! I know you keep things balanced! I don't care!"

"Hey, Ludwig." Gilbert said, trying to calm his brother down, "Listen I'm really sorry, I just-"

"I don't care! I really don't!" Ludwig stalked up to where Gilbert sat and grabbed his collar, pulling him up and Ludwig's voice dropped to a steely calm, "What I do care about is all the torture you put Mom through."

"Um, hey I'm sorry, okay?" Gilbert said softly, suddenly unable to meet his younger brother's eye.

"Mom would pray and pray and pray and you never came." Ludwig said, "Did you even hear her or were you too busy orcastrating the war to notice? She volunteered to be a nurse, I think she somehow thought she might see you if she was closer to the fighting."

Gilbert closed his eyes and said nothing.

"She never blamed you. The Council said that the war was the Joker's fault, but Mom always said you were doing the best you could. She always said you were the good guy here. I don't think the war is your fault, and I don't care if it is, but ignoring Mom is something I can't forgive you for. Do you have any idea how much she tore herself up? Dad is long dead, then there's you who came back from the grave, then you vanish again. Damn it Gil! What were you thinking?" Ludwig's voice broke and he released Gilbert's collar. He turned away and shook his head, "Damn it Gil. Why are you here? Why aren't you with Mom?"

Gilbert was silent, then slowly stepped forward and gave Ludwig a hug. For a moment, Ludwig grew tense, then relaxed and hugged Gilbert back. They were the same height now, Ludwig was the age Gilbert had been when he died, and Gilbert had stopped aging when he became the Red. The empty group home was silent for a long time, and finally they broke apart and stood there looking at each other.

"I just came from there." Gilbert said softly, "I just saw her. She's fine, she cried, she's coming home. I'm sorry for what I've put you guys through. I'm so sorry."

Ludwig shook his head, "We missed you. A letter would have been nice, anything really would have helped."

"I promise to never leave you two in the dark, again." Gilbert said, looking at the ground, "I thought you might blame me. Hate me."

"Nah, Mom would never allow that."

"Listen, I'm actually here with," Gilbert frowned, "News? I guess?" He looked up at Ludwig, "Listen, I don't usually do this, but I needed to talk to you."

"What?" Ludwig said.

"Listen, things are about to change, a lot." Gilbert seemed to be struggling with words for the first time since Ludwig could remember, "For you, I mean. This is going to change everything for you and Mom. I think it is going to be a good thing in the end, but I don't think you are going to like it at first."

"What are you talking about?"

"Um, well," Gilbert scratched his head and started to pace, "I guess I might as well just go normal from here." He waved his hand vaguely in the direction of the door, and suddenly a pink and red dog appeared.

"Gilbert?" Ludwig said warily, "What's going on? What are you going on about?"

Gilbert smiled at him. The dog stepped forward and touched it's nose to Ludwig's leg. A strange tingling sensation filled Ludwig, the air around him grew hot and bright. There was a flash of light and it was gone. Ludwig looked down at himself. He was wearing fine pink and red clothing and found himself holding a scepter. What? No. Really? Was he dreaming again?

Gilbert giggled, "You should see the look on your face."

"Huh?"

"Congratulations, Ludwig!" Gilbert laughed, "You are King of Hearts!"

"Huh?"

"Mom was thrilled, she is one her way to the capital right now."

Ludwig looked at Gilbert. Something about this was wrong. "You are the Joker, you aren't supposed to show favoritism! You can't make me king!"

"I didn't." Gilbert said with a smirk, "The Deck did. You are legitimately the King, Ludwig."

"No."

"Oh yes."

"What now?"

Gilbert shrugged, "I could take the scepter to Kiku, or I could just take you to Kiku. I don't care at this point."

"I should tell someone in charge of the group home." Ludwig said, coming to terms with this new reality.

"Ya, you could just send a messenger from the capital."

"I can?"

"Ya, here, lets just go straight to Kiku." Gilbert said, and put his hand on Ludwig's shoulder, "This is going to be so much fun!"

There was a flash of red, then Ludwig found himself floating in total darkness, then it was gone and he was standing in an office. It was all pink and the walls were lined with bookshelves. They were in front of a large mahogany desk with Queen Kiku sitting behind it looking startled.

"Hello Kiku!" Gilbert said cheerfully, "I'd like to present to you the new king of Hearts!"

 **Sorry I haven't updated recently! Been really busy! Anyways, all of the monarchs have been found! Yay! Next chapter and we get to start into side stories! I already set up a few (with Ivan and now Arthur)! Please Review! Pretty Please!**


	7. Chapter 7

Arthur stood at the castle's main entrance when Yao's carriages arrived back. He watched them pull up to the curb and made his way down the steps to greet Yao. It had been about a week since the pocket watch had appeared and Arthur had spoken with the Joker. He had been in correspondence with Queen Kiku, and Jacks Rodrich and Vash; the peace treaty meetings had been scheduled for another two weeks, which meant that Arthur and Yao would need to leave for Hearts very soon if they wanted to make it on time. Of course, the very idea of the Spades monarchs not being on time was luticris.

As Yao exited the carriage, Arthur was surprised to see him looking, well, mad. Yao mad was quite the phenomenon. It was disturbing. The new king got Yao mad? Yao glanced at Arthur without a word and stalked into the castle, leaving the Queen alone as a boy climbed out of the carriage.

"Ah! The new King of Spades, I presume?" Arthur said stepping forward and offering a hand.

The boy looked surprised and shook the offered hand, but shook his head, "Um, I'm sorry, I'm Matthew, not the new king. Sorry."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Matthew." Arthur said easily, "Who is the new king?"

"Um," Mathew looked inside the carriage again, "Alfred is, but he's throwing a fit right now."

"I am not!" came a voice from inside the carriage, and Arthur stepped forward to see another boy wearing the fine garb of a Spade's King. His beautiful cloths were covered in dried mud and he sat with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

Arthur looked at the boy with thinly disguised alarm, "Alfred? I'm Arthur, Queen of Spades. I am looking forward to working with you."

Alfred looked up at Arthur and grinned evilly, reminding Arthur vaguely of the Joker, "Are you going to get upset about Matthew being here too? Are you going to make him go back? Because if you are, then I'm going back too!"

"Alfred! Stop it!" Matthew said with a sigh, "I don't mind going back. You are the king, after all, and I'm no one!"

"You aren't no one! You are my brother and if I'm king then I should get to have you with me if I want!" Alfred snapped and glared at Arthur.

"Can we please move this conversation inside?" Arthur said as pleasantly as he could. Arthur's first impression of the new king was that he was a delusional, self centered, idiot, but maybe Arthur was being to judgmental.

Alfred reluctantly got out of the carriage and the two boys followed Arthur inside and to his private office. "Tea anyone?" Arthur asked and tried not to think about all of the mud on Alfred that was now touching his furniture.

The boys both shook their heads, but Arthur poured a cup for himself and sat down crossed from the two, placing his cup on the coffee table between them. Alfred had relaxed in the short time it had taken them to get here, both of the boys were amazed by the castle and had spent the walk here wide eyed and silent.

Arthur could see that Matthew's cloths were worn and dirty, verging on thread bare and of the simple design of a peasant.

"So, what is the problem?" Arthur asked and leaned back in his chair.

"Yao wants Mathew to go home!" Alfred said, "He says that Matthew will be a distraction to me and keep me from doing to best I can as a king!"

Matthew looked unhappy and rather like he wanted nothing more than to fade into the background. Arthur looked between the two boys for a moment. Alfred looked determined and Matthew, self conscious, however they still looked very much alike.

"Are you two twins?" Arthur naked.

"No, Matthew is a year older than I am," Alfred said, "But, we've been together all of our lives! I can't do with out him!"

The pleading tone that had worked it's way into Alfred's voice made Arthur uncomfortable. "Well," Arthur said slowly, "My brothers are both living in the capital, but I don't see them often. A house could be arranged for Matthew."

"No, I want him living in the castle with me." Alfred said firmly.

"Why?"

"He's my brother, it's sort of my job to take care of him, besides we have no skills or anything. What would he do to get a job or apprenticeship here in the capital?" Alfred said, "There is no way he could go up in the world unless he sits in on the lessons that Yao said I had to take. What is he supposed to do here unless I help him?"

Arthur's unease grew, just listening to Alfred, images of his own brothers flashed through his mind. He had left them at home. It never had occurred to him to try and help them out, once he had become Queen. He visited sometimes. Well, he used to. It had been quite a while since he had last checkup up on them, now that he thought about it.

"I don't see a problem with that." Arthur said slowly, a guilt that he had never extended such a offer or curtsy to his own family nagged at the back of his mind, "I will talk to Yao, I know that many monarchs have moved their families into the castle in the past, in fact I think Yao's cousin used to live here."

Alfred grinned with relief, and Matthew seemed to relax, "Thanks!" Alfred said, "Thanks so much!"

Arthur nodded, "Now, what lessons did Yao say you needed?"

"History, Math, Politics, Economy, and" Alfred turned slightly red, "Reading and Writing."

"Have you ever been to school?" Arthur asked in alarm.

The two boys shook their heads and Matthew shrugged, "We are orphans and never could afford to go to school."

"I see." Arthur said and looked at Alfred's ruined cloths. He didn't really want to know what happened. "Life is going to change a lot for you two. You understand that, right?"

The boys exchanged a look then both nodded.

"You are going to be held to a high standard and much of how you act will need to change."

Again, the boys nodded.

"Alfred, we have very little time, and you must be a presentable King by the time the peace treaties in Hearts come."

"Do I have to go?" Alfred asked, looking unsure for the first time, "I mean, what would I do there if I can't even read."

Arthur couldn't help, but smile, "Well, mostly you will be there for show." He said honestly, "We don't expect you to take part in the politics yet, but we need to make it clear that Spades is strong. Having you there is a kind of statement to the other kingdoms."

"So, I just have to stand there and look pretty?" Alfred asked, looking annoyed.

"Yep." Arthur said, he knew Alfred's frustration, but all new monarchs had to have a learning curve before they could really start to help their kingdom, "I encourage you to make friends with the other new monarchs, but apart from that, you should stay quiet. Yao and I will handle everything."

Alfred looked like he was about to complain, but stopped. "Okay." He said slowly, "I guess it's for the best."

Arthur nodded and the room fell into an uneasy silence. Arthur wasn't sure how to treat these boys. They were only a little younger than him, but he couldn't help but think of them as much younger. He took a sip of his tea and sighed, "Well, I am going to turn you into the care of one of the head servants. He will show you to your quarters, give you a tour of the castle, and give you some fresh cloths. A tailor will be called tomorrow, but I think Mathew will fit in my cloths. Alfred, you are a bit too broad and tall to work with mine though, so they will have to dig through a few closets to find you something. I have some work I need to do, but I will see you both at dinner."

"Okay, thank you." Mathew said with a small, shy smile.

"Yeah! Thanks!" Alfred said, his expression bright and his voice loud.

Arthur sent them off with a servant and sat at his desk. He had conflicting feelings about the future. Alfred seemed by all rights to be a total idiot, however he was kind and passionate. He was the sort of person who was easy to read and was control entirely by his emotions. Sure, that wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly good traits for a king to have. Plus, no schooling meant that he would be virtually useless the first year or so. Alfred was a peasant a week ago and now he was king, Arthur shook his head and smiled; what a crazy world with was. Mathew didn't seem like much of a problem to Arthur, but Alfred's determination to do the best he could by his brother was strange to Arthur. Yao never talked about his family and Arthur had followed suit the whole time he had been Queen. Alfred's loyalty was astounding. Arthur supposed that was a good trait to see in a king, but over all Arthur was not impressed. Alfred just didn't seem King-Quality. Did that idiot Joker choose him? That sort of made sense, but you'd think that a Joker would know better than to put someone like Alfred in a position of power.

Oh well, Alfred was here now and he didn't look like he was really going to change things around here, a puppet king was fine by Arthur. Alfred being King only in name wasn't a problem and that was normal for most monarchs until they had all of the necessary training to rule. Alfred would go to Hearts with Arthur and Yao in two days. That gave them enough time to give him the basic information he needed to meet the other monarchs and to get him some decant clothing.

Arthur looked at his stack of papers and started reading through them, they were mostly military unit recalls that would allow soldiers to go home. Normally, this would be the King's job, but Arthur and Yao had been spitting these duties. Arthur's eyes wandered to the next page, it was a list of names of the unit at question. He looked down the columns and one name caught his attention. Kirkland, Allistor. Allistor. Kirkland. Arthur suddenly felt cold and numb. Allistor was fighting? Allistor was at the front? Allistor? His brother was fighting on the front? No. He couldn't be! Arthur would have heard, right? Arthur felt a lump rise in his throat, he wouldn't have heard. Why would he? He hadn't contacted his family, he hadn't made arrangements to keep tabs on them, he hadn't done anything for them. Now Allistor was at the front. Arthur put the paper down and stared at the name. Was Allistor alive? Was he okay? The stress of the war was demanding, but couldn't he have spared a few moments for his family? 

Rodrich and Elizabeta were glaring at each other. The new king, Ivan, had arrived a day ago and this wasn't working out. Even before Ivan arrived, it wasn't working out. Rodrich slowly took a deep breath and tried again.

"Your majesty, at least two of us must go to the meeting in Hearts, and it would not be smart to leave Ivan here alone." Rodrich said, keeping his tone level and polite, "It would be best if Ivan and I went, so that you could stay here and manage things."

"Rodrich, we have a Council, you know!" Elizabeta said, not trying to be level or polite, "They can manage things for a few days! If I don't go, you and Ivan are going to start another war!"

"I think I can manage to do my job after nine years, I don't need a Queen of three weeks telling me what to do." Rodrich said, his hands balling into fists at his sides, "I want peace as much as you do, your majesty."

"No you don't!" Elizabeta snapped, "You want to win and Ivan isn't exactly anit-war! Do you really think I'm going to let you two go off and do something stupid?"

"Please, your majesty! I really don't want to argue. Just let us go to Hearts and-"

"What is going on?" Ivan said from the doorway.

Both Elizabeta and Rodrich spun to look at him, then relaxed.

"Please come in, your majesty." Rodrich said easily.

"Ivan! I am going with you and Rodrich to Hearts!" Elizabeta said.

"Okay." Ivan said and entered the room, "If that's what you want, then I think you should come."

"No, I really think it best, the Queen stays behind." Rodrich said, shooting a glare at Elizabeta, "It would be to our advantage to leave a monarch here to make sure the Council doesn't do anythin-"

"If she wants to come, I think she should." Ivan said, "She is Queen and having all three of us there will give us more negotiation power. Why would that be bad?"

Rodrich looked back and forth between the angry Queen and the unconcerned King. He sighed and nodded, "Very well, we will all go. I'd better tell the Council. If you see them, please tell Toris and Vladimir that I need to speak to them."

"Oh, can I have a personal assistant like you have Toris?" Ivan asked.

"Of course, any of the servants are available to you. Just assign one of them to be on call to you." Rodrich said as he started towards the door.

"Can I have Toris?" Ivan said.

Rodrich stopped and glanced at the King, "I suppose so."

"And Raivis and Edward?"

Rodrich frowned, "Do you really need three assistants? Isn't Edward a guard? If you want a personal guard, he can be assigned to you, but he doesn't have the training to really be a good assistant."

"A guard would be nice." Ivan said thoughtfully, "Yes, might I have Edward as a guard and Toris and Raivis as assistants?"

"If that is what you want." Rodrich said, he had two assistants as well, but that was mostly because he had been doing the jobs of all of the monarchs and had been hefting some of the work onto the council members. It wasn't strange for a King to have multiple assistants, what was strange was that Ivan wasn't actually doing any of the King's job yet and he wanted two assistants.

"Did you send that letter to my sisters?" Ivan asked, looking to Elizabeta.

"Yes! I sent my letter to Sofia as well." Elizabeta grinned, "It's so great that one of my best friends is your sister!"

"Natalie and Sofia will be coming to see us as soon as they can." Ivan said.

"What? What happened?" Rodrich was having a hard time not looking alarmed, these two didn't seem to understand that just because they were King and Queen, that didn't mean they were in charge. They couldn't go around doing things without him knowing about it!

"Ivan and I were talking and we wrote letters to important people to us to let them know that we were okay and didn't just disappear." Elizabeta said coolly, Rodrich knew she was aware of his feelings towards them doing their own things and she opposed it, "Ivan's sisters are coming to visit and as soon as this war is over, my friend from Diamonds is coming to see me."

"What? You want to have a Diamond here? As a guest? Do you hear yourself?" Rodrich yelped, "You might as well invite King Francis himself! Lets have a wolf to dinner!"

"Don't be silly," Elizabeta said, "Bella is just as good a person as any Clubs and shes hardly dangerous."

"I don't want any Diamonds visiting, no matter how nice, until everything settles down!" Rodrich said, and started toward the door again.

"Can I have a friend from Spade come over?" Ivan asked.

"No!" Rodrich left before they could ask anything else. He closed the door, then stopped and looked at the ceiling with a sigh.

"Do you have friends in Spades?" Rodrich could hear Elizabeta asked through the door.

"No," Ivan said, "I just wanted to see what he would say."

Rodrich sighed again and started down the hall. Those two were impossible to deal with. Elizabeta was the most stubborn person he had ever met and Ivan acted like a child most of the time, but Rodrich knew Ivan was clever. Why were they chosen? They were going to make a mess of Clubs!

In his office, Rodirich wrote to the Council, informing them of Elizabeta's determination to go to the peace conference. He flipped through a few files and gave up. He didn't know what he was going to do. He had thought that a Queen and King would make things easier for him, but he found himself more stressed and busy than ever. A fleeting thought of assassination came and went. Then suicide didn't seem so bad. Rodrich forced those thoughts away. He couldn't kill the new monarchs and Clubs wouldn't survive if he killed himself. He would just have to put up with it, things would get better.

 **Chapter Seven! It's here! Yay! Sorry it's taken so long!**

 **Special thanks to Readre and Listenerofshadows for your reviews! It means a lot to me and you guys are awesome!**

 **Everyone else ought to review too! Please!**


	8. Chapter 8

Gilbert glared at the 42 blank cards in front of him. Not one was the searcher for the Black Joker. Not one would show him were he would find his new partner. Not one would fix everything.

Now he was being foolish, one person couldn't fix everything. Even if he did find the new Black Joker, it would be a while before the new guy could control his magic well enough to be any use. Gilbert thought briefly of contacting the Aces and almost immediately pushed that thought away. This was all the Aces fault. He had no intention of ever contacting them again, if he could help it.

A wave of pain overcame him and he gasped. He didn't know what happened and part of him didn't care. The searing heat racing through his veins told him once again, that he wasn't moving fast enough. Why weren't the people's morals getting better? Gilbert curled into a ball, gasping and trying to force the Suit's pain away. It faded slowly and slowly he sat up. The pain was bearable. He would be okay. The Suits would be okay.

Gilbert stood from his thrown and made his way to the room with the card towers. Everything was quiet and still. The fighting had stopped a while ago, and the peace treaty conference was tomorrow. Gilbert had made sure that all of the monarchs would be present. It had been hard, Rodrich hadn't wanted Elizabeta to go and Vash hadn't wanted Lili to leave the castle at all. The monarchs were doing pretty well. They hadn't killed each other and they all seemed to be making an effort to get along.

Gilbert walked down the rows of cards, his eyes scanning them, and he mentally scanned the world outside of the Joker's Territory. He was looking for problems, anything really, anything that might put a stop to the coming peace. He couldn't have everything slip when he was so close. Winter was coming, and he didn't need to jump into the future to know that none of the kingdoms would last another winter with the war.

The last winter had been bad enough. The winter before that was when the Black had died. Gilbert closed his eyes. The Black had died two years ago. Sickness had swept through the trenches, hitting Clubs especially hard. After that, Lady Luck, the Club's Ace, had sent famine into Spade's territory. Gilbert remembered all of the nights when the Black Suit's pain had wracked the Black Joker's body. The prayers had been too much then. They had turned from prayers to begging, then from begging to cursing. There was nothing Gilbert could do.

It was around this time when the people first started to turn against the Jokers. It started in Clubs, spreading slowly out and infecting the land like the plague that had wiped through the trenches. The Jokers reflected the land and the people. This fear and hate was more painful to them than the cursing and the deaths. The mindset of the people and the deteriorating land, along with the accursed Aces messing with things, had tipped the balance. Gabriel, the Black, had died. His body scared and his Suits failing. He had left a mess, and Gilbert, with the Red Suits faring better, remained behind.

Gilbert shook his head, trying to clear it of all the dark thoughts that came whenever he thought of the Aces and the Black's fate. It would do him no good to try and seek revenge against the Aces, no matter how many times he wanted to rip them apart. He hated the Aces. He hated them and their self centered ideals. They represented the Suits even more than he did, they really ought to take better care of their kingdom. Gilbert couldn't argue that they seemed to always have their Suit's best interest at heart, but their actions sometimes seemed to be had by a teenager in a knee jerk reaction without any thought to consicencous. Gilbert hated how the Aces operated.

The silent card towers seemed to stare at Gilbert accusingly. What was he doing wrong?

Gilbert stood and left the room. He went not back to the throne room but to a similarly large room. Instead of the four tables and the cards, this room was filled with bookcases, filled with leather bound books. All of the books were identical in size and volume, the only noticeable difference was that half were read leather and half were black. Gilbert teleported to a spot in the middle of the labyrinth of shelves and selected one of the red books. He flipped it open and looked at his scrawly handwriting.

 _He told me I was a Joker and that I was dead._

This first sentence marked his beginning as a Joker. The Jokers recorded everything. To keep the balance was their job, but even when that wasn't needed, they still needed things to do. So, they recorded the history of the Suits. Even in the nice days were he and the Black had spent their time tormenting the royalty, they had still written everything of significance down. This collection of diary held all of the history of the continent since the creation of the Jokers. It was a hobby of sorts, not a requirement, and Gilbert and the Black had both made their entries separatly to give future Jokers a better idea of what was happening.

Gilbert replaced the book and walked further down the shelf, he picked up another red book, one from the last Red Joker.

 _The flooding in Hearts is becoming unbearable. Sickness runs rampant and the Aces have stopped contacting us._

Gilbert closed the book and put it back. He walked back, searching for a black book closest to his first entry.

 _The Red has locked himself in his room and isn't coming out._

Gilbert flipped to the last page.

 _This new guy looks like an idiot. I hope he figures out what to do. Being the only Joker for ten years has taken it's toll, I wish the Deck would have reveled him sooner so I could kill him myself and hurry up the possess._

So the new Joker was probably already found and not dead yet? That was frustrating. On the other hand, the Hearts searcher had said he wouldn't be alone for much longer. Gilbert wondered what the searcher considered a long time. Ten years sounded like a long time to him. Wait, ten years? He had died when he was about sixteen, so is it possible he was found as a Joker when he was six? That was a weird thought.

Gilbert looked to an earlier entry, maybe this would tell him if he was doing something wrong in his search for a new Black. It would make sense that finding an Heir Joker would be a bit different than finding a normal Heir.

 _The new Clubs Jack has promise, he is the son of a noble family and requires almost no training. Rodrich Edelstein is going to do good things for Clubs._

Good for him. Gilbert skipped down some and made a mental note to update his current journal about all the new monarchs. There! That's what he was looking for.

 _The Deck finally gave me a searcher for the new Red! It's a yellow bird. Weird since the new Red is in Hearts. I've always wondered if the animals that the searchers turn into for each new monarch are significant. The searcher refused to talk to me or go on with our normal drill. The guy was dying when the searcher and I got there. Really weird, his mother was there and crying, then he died and sat up, but not really. His body remained were it was and his spirit, I guess, sat up. He looked at his mother and freaked out when he saw me. It was pretty easy after that. I took him back to the castle and let him figure stuff out. Dying is rather hard to take sometimes._

So it is just like finding a monarch. He wasn't doing anything wrong. How very frustrating. Gilbert put the book back and again mentally scanned the kingdoms as he walked back to the throne room. He didn't want to take any chances with the peace treaty so close. Then again, the Deck cooperating and showing him the new Black would be nice.

Gilbert sat down in his throne and and looked sulkily at the large empty throne room. He felt lonely. It was eerie, being alone. He was the only person in miles, no one would dare enter the Joker's territory. He wasn't even a person really. He was dead. The Red. Dead. Alone.

Gilbert shook his head, what was it with dark thoughts today? He had things he needed to do. Namely, figure out why Kiku and Ivan could see him. Kiku used a spell, and the Red magic wasn't being censored, so that made some sense at least, but Ivan? Ivan didn't seem to know how to use magic, and he effortlessly saw Gilbert. Gilbert knew that queens could sense a Joker's presence and sometimes other monarchs could see little snatches of a Joker at the edge of their vision, but that happened so rarely, it was hardly worth mentioning. Ivan saw Gilbert. Why? How? Was Gilbert's magic failing? Was he dying like the Black? The Black hadn't ever mentioned loosing his magic, but Gilbert was certainly experiencing the pain of both Suits. Gilbert didn't know if dying as a Joker would feel the same as dying the first time, but it wasn't an experience he was looking forward to. He knew he would have to die eventually, but he didn't have time to die right now. There was too much to do. Speaking of, what to do about Ivan.

Ivan. Ivan. Ivan. What to do? Gilbert supposed he could do nothing. Ivan's weird ability to see him wasn't exactly dangerous, was it? So the guy could see him, big deal. Well, it sort of was a big deal, but there wasn't anything Gilbert could think of to do about it.

Well, that checked off worrying about Ivan for the day. Next on the list? Try to find the Black, yep, Gilbert was pretty sure he wasn't getting anywhere on that either. Next? General update.

The Spades monarchs had arrived in Hearts yesterday and if Gilbert had been paying more attention, he closed his eyes and concentrated; yep, there they were. The Diamonds had just arrived. Clubs would be teleporting to Hearts for dinner tonight, and Gilbert planned to be present. Clubs controlling spacial magic made diplomatic meetings easiest for them, Gilbert had always thought it really funny when they were the ones hosting the meeting. Hearts would have a full castle tonight, Gilbert didn't sleep and planned to stay in Hearts, ensuring that nothing horrible happened to any of the monarchs before that peace treaty. It would be just like them to bring a few assassins if they wanted to win the war after all. Gilbert wondered sometimes if they ever realized how one action of theirs could ruin his day. He wondered if they would care even if they knew. Probably not. There was nothing like feeling appreciated.

He shook his head. Why was he so negative today?

Ludwig stood next to Queen Kiku with his hands folded behind his back and watched as the most important people in the continent seated themselves around the huge, round, red wood table. The Hearts monarchs stood lined up as their guest were slowly seated.

Ludwig felt the Jack nudge him with his elbow. Ludwig ignored it. Kiku had told them to stand here politely until everyone else was seated. The Jack nudged him again. Ludwig ignored him. The Jack dug his elbow into Lubwig's ribs.

"What?" Ludwig hissed out of the corner of his mouth.

"The Club's Queen sure is pretty, isn't she?" Jack Feliciano whispered back, an idiotic grin on his face.

Ludwig felt his face heating up, the Jack had to mention something like that at a royal dinner? Why now? Why to him? What could possibly be going on in that guy's head?

It took all of Ludwig's self control to stay as he was and not turn and knock some sense into the smaller boy's head. Kiku had told them to stand here until the guests were seated. That was exactly what Ludwig planned to do.

The other monarchs were seated, thank the Aces! Kiku moved forward with a small bow.

"Thank you all for coming here today." Kiku said, "I am honored to host this conference and I hope that in the following days we can come to an agreement concerning the war that is beneficial to all of us." He bowed again and motioned for Ludwig and Feliciano to be seated.

Ludwig sat down, Kiku on his right and Feliciano on his left. Kiku signaled for the servants to come in with the first course.

"I would now like to formally introduce the new Hearts monarchs, King Ludwig and Jack Felicano." Kiku said, motioning to them, "I hope you will all be lenient with them as they are still learning their ways around the castle and crown as well." Kiku bowed and was seated.

The other monarchs nodded to Ludwig and Feliciano, Ludwig nodded back, mentally running through all of the information Kiku had given him on them.

Jack Rodrich of Clubs stood and bowed, "Thank you Queen Kiku for your hospitality, I have the honor of presenting Queen Elizabeta and King Ivan." The Jack motioned to the two people to his right. He sat and the Queen of Spades stood next.

"Thank you Kiku for your hospitality, Jack Yao and I would like to present King Alfred of Spades." Arthur said, Ludwig noticed how tense all of the Spades monarchs looked, they looked about ready to kill each other.

"Thank you Queen Kiku and all of Hearts," King Francis said with a smile, "This is the new Queen of Diamonds, Queen Lili."

Ludwig wasn't sure why they were all introducing the new monarchs, clearly everyone knew who everyone else was, they had met each other as they arrived to Hearts. It must be a traditional thing, or some conmon curtesy he was missing.

Food came and everyone started to eat. Kiku had said that there would probably be a little talk at this point in the dinner and that he and Feliciano should stay quiet, unless addressed directly.

"Francis, how are things in Diamonds?" Queen Arthur asked politely, sipping a glass of ice water.

Francis looked up and smiled charmingly, "Wonderful, things have been just wonderful!"

"Good to hear." Jack Yao said, and smiled back as Queen Arthur scowled, "I hope that things continue to go well for you."

"How about Clubs?" Francis asked, turning his attention to Rodrich, "How are things with you?"

"Cold." Rodrich said, his tone flat, "Winter is setting in earlier than usual, but Clubs is doing just fine."

"Of course!" Francis smiled, "Hearts is looking as lovely as ever, if I might say so, Kiku."

"Your compliment means a lot to us, thank you." Kiku said nodding, "I am sure that Diamonds is just as nice this time of year."

"It is." Francis seemed to purr, and Ludwig had the unnerving feeling that he was somehow testing the rest of the room, "Diamonds is in tip-top shape!"

"Alfred?"

Everyone looked in surprise at King Ivan.

"Yes?" King Alfred said slowly, looking even more uncomfortable than he had previously.

"What do you hate about being King?" Ivan asked, his face totally straight and his tone friendly, "I hate how everyone keeps telling me I'm king then telling me everything I'm not allowed to do."

Silence followed, then Alfred grinned.

"Yeah! I hate that!" Alfred said, his face lighting up, "And how I'm kept on a strict schedule and can't even pick out my own cloths! I can't stand that!" He smiled at the rest of the table, as all of the veteran monarchs stared at him in disbelief, all of the new monarch shrank back in their chairs, "Hey! You!" Alfred pointed at Feliciano.

"Me?" Feliciano asked, looking around him wildly as if hoping it was someone else, "Me?"

"Yeah! What do you hate about being Jack?" Alfred asked, he looked like a child and Ludwig mentally hoped that Felicano had the sense to keep quiet or say something dignified.

"No one wants to really be my friend." Felicano said slowly, "Everyone's so polite and won't really TALK to me, it's all 'Yes Sir', and 'As You Wish My Lord'. I wish everyone would just relax!" Felicano looked up and smiled at Alfred, "That would be fun!"

Alfred nodded and turned to the Diamonds Queen, "Lili! What sucks about being Queen?"

Lili blushed and looked like she wanted to disappear, "Um, well, it isn't all that bad really. It's,um, a bit scary, but I have my big brother, so it's okay I guess."

"Hey! You and Vash are siblings right? That's so cool!" Alfred said with a laugh and turned his attention to Elizabeta, "What about you?"

"I hate how I'm supposed to be able to make a difference, but no one will let me!" Elizabeta said, shooting a poisonous glance at Rodrich, "I want to help my kingdom, not just sit there and smile!"

"I know! Me too!" Alfred said and turned to Ludwig. Ludwig turned red before Alfred even started speaking, "What do you hate about being royal?"

Ludwig could almost feel the temperature rise and looked at all of the faces around the table. Some horrified, some angry, some scared, some defiant. A person stood directly behind Alfred. A person Ludwig knew.

Gilbert stood so Ludwig could see him and smiled. Gilbert gave Ludwig a thumbs-up and mouthed the words, "Say what you want." Slowly, so Ludwig didn't miss it. Gilbert nodded, still smiling, then vanished.

Ludwig swallowed, "I hate the feeling of being useless. I can't stand holding Kiku back, because he has to coach me and I can't help my kingdom."

"And how set in tradition everyone is!" Alfred said, still beaming, "I hate that too!"

"Eating politely is hard!" Feliciano complained, "I had a two hour lesson with a tutor on how to eat!"

"And walking! My tutor made me walk in circles until I 'had the proper stance'!" Elizabeta said, "And these cloths aren't comfortable!"

"I know! And they get mad when I get a single spot on them!" Alfred crowed and started shoveling down food. He grinned at the other Spades monarchs, who glared at him.

Ludwig glanced at Kiku. Kiku sat like a statue, his face pale, but blank. A guilt for disobeying orders filled him, but Gilbert had said to say what he wanted. Gilbert was a Joker and Kiku a Queen, which ranked higher? Technically Gilbert, but Kiku was who he would have to live with in the future.

"I like the rooms and living in the castle." Lili said softly.

Feliciano nodded happily, "Yes! It's so pretty and I like the rooms! They even let my brother come live with me!"

"Me too! My brother even came with me!" Alfred said, he and Feliciano grinned at each other, "We should totally hang out!"

Ludwig glanced around the table again. Yao and Arthur were glaring at Alfred, Vash looked furious and Francis amused. Rodrich was bright red and looked livid while Ivan was smiling and looking at one corner of the room as if possessed. Elizabeta, Alfred, and Feliciano all talked about how horrid being royal was and Lili occasionally added something. The royal dinner had been hijacked by the new royalty.

Ludwig half expected the older monarchs to step in and say something, but they remained silent. Coarses of food came and went.

Finally, the royals dragged the new monarchs away to their separate areas of the castle. The Hearts monarchs left after all of their guests were on their way, and the servants came and cleared the room.

"I'm sorry about dinner." Ludwig said as they made their way out of the conman castle area and back to where they lived.

Kiku shook his head, "It's fine. I don't mind."

"Really? You sure looked like you minded!" Feliciano said, walking ahead of them with a bouncy step, "You looked pretty upset! Sorry!"

Kiku shook his head again and put on a forced smile, "No, you are royalty, you need to be able to make your own decisions. Getting to know the other new monarchs will make negotiations easier. Hearts has been humiliated before and will be again, there is nothing we can do about that now. The other kingdom's new monarchs were just as bad."

The three walked in silence. Felicano's step lost it's bounce.

"The Joker was egging you on, I don't know what he has planned for us, but I suppose it's all for the best." Kiku said with a small sigh.

This part of the castle was deserted of servants and their steps rang through the hallway. It wasn't as brightly lit here and thier shadows were long on the ground in front of them.

"Sorry." Felicano said again.

Just before they separated to go into their different living quarters, Kiku stopped, sighing again.

"I've always hated all of the pressure of being Queen." Kiku said softly, his quiet words seemed loud in the stillness of the hall and Ludwig and Feliciano exchanged a glance, "I've always hated how everyone expects me to have the answers and to be able to fix everything. I've hated being seen as more than just a human."

The three stood in silence for a moment longer. Thier shadows melting together without them actually moving and a gentle breeze came from somewhere up the hall.

"Thank you Kiku." Ludwig said slowly, "You aren't alone anymore."

"You've got us!" Feliciano agreed, smiling again, "We can help!"

Kiku didn't move at first, but he finally looked up at the two other boys and gave them a small smile.

 **Sorry it takes me so long to update this one! Writing this story is harder than I originally thought it would be! Anyway, here you go!**

 **Thanks, as always, to my reviewers! I love you! Please review more!**


	9. Chapter 9

Gilbert was sat in the corner of the room as the royals filed in. Today negotiations began! Today was the beginning of everything being fixed! Today was-

"Hello Snowflake."

Gilbert jumped, spinning to look at Ivan. It was unnerving being seen.

"Hi Ivan." Gilbert said, forcing himself to relax. Ivan had stared at him all last night, and Gilbert tended to forget that both him and Kiku were paying attention to him. When the new royals had spoken up last night, it had taken all of his will power to keep the older monarchs from interfering. Gilbert controlled Black Magic, or Space and Time, but that didn't mean he couldn't use Red Magic, Memory and Thought. He had spent pretty much the whole night dampening the emotions of the older monarchs and keeping their anger just under a simmer. It was tough since he practiced Red Magic even less than Black and dampening so many people at once! Talk about a head ache! Today his head was pounding like he had a hangover, but the exitment for working the peace treaty made it bearable.

"How are you?" Ivan asked, that ever constant smile plastered on his face.

"I'm fine, how about you?" Gilbert looked around the rest of the room, no one was paying attention to the Clubs King talking to air. Or at any rate, they were being too polite to comment on it.

"I'm well." Ivan said, "I was just wondering what you were planning on doing today."

"I plan on arranging an awesome peace treaty!" Gilbert flashed Ivan a smile, this guy was creepy, but he did seem to have his kingdom's best interest at heart.

"It would be easier if Clubs just ruled everything."

Gilbert's smile fell. This guy was creepy and defiantly had his kingdom's best interest at heart. He scratched the back of his head and looked around the room again, "Yeah, maybe, but we're supposed to have four kingdoms. It's my job to make sure there are four kingdoms."

"No." Ivan said, "It's your job to keep the balance between the kingdoms."

"Okay, whatever." Gilbert said, that unsettling feeling rising, "Same thing."

"No. It's not the same thing. You and the Black keep the balance." Ivan said, his expression seemed to grow soft, "But, it's just you, Snowflake, you can't keep the balance if there is just one Joker."

Gilbert grew tense. He knew about the Black being dead? Well, that wasn't all that hard to figure out if he could see Gilbert and never saw a Black. Plus, Gilbert, the Red, came to do the Black's job, so really it didn't take a genius to figure out that there was no Black.

"I think I'm doing a pretty good job of it." Gilbert retorted, trying once again to hide his uneasy, "I'm gaining peace, that's the first step to fixing everything!"

"Snowflake." Ivan's expression grew serious, the smile gone, "You can't work a scale with a weight only on one side. That's not how things work. You can't balance the scale with only one weight. The weight can't be split in half, it can't be shifted. You aren't balancing anything, you're just holding things together as long as you can, but things will fall apart."

Gilbert decided he like Ivan smiling creepily better than Ivan being serious. Ivan's words were chilling. The journal entry from before he was discovered as Joker returned to him.

This new guy looks like an idiot. I hope he figures out what to do. Being the only Joker for ten years has taken it's toll, I wish the Deck would have reveled him sooner so I could kill him myself and hurry up the possess.

Ten years alone. Things hadn't fallen apart in that time. Ivan didn't know what he was talking about. After all, the only thing Gilbert had been physically incapable of doing was censor the Red Magic, apart from that, he was doing really well at being both the Red and the Black.

"Ivan, I appreciate your concern." Gilbert said slowly, not wanting to offend the guy, but trying to discourage any further of this talk, "I'm fine, the Suits are going to be fine, and Clubs will not be controlling them all."

Ivan 's smile returned, "Okay, if you say so, Snowflake."

Just then, Rodrich strode up looking tense, "Ivan! What are you doing over here? People are going to talk!"

"It's okay, Rodrich." Ivan said, "I was just talking with-"

"No! Not now! We have are required elsewhere!" Rodrich grabbed Ivan's hand and all but dragged the larger man away.

Gilbert watched them go, still shaken by Ivan. He glanced over to were the Hearts monarchs stood. Kiku glanced at him and looked at Ivan curiously. When Kiku looked at him with a slight question on his face, Gilbert just shook his head. He didn't want to field anymore probing from royalty. He wanted them to get their act together and make peace!

A map was spread crossed the big redwood table and the royalty gathered around it, each moving closest to where their kingdom's territory lay. The continent was ruffly oval, in the center was another ruffly oval shape draw with the labeled "Joker's Territory". Around the center, the continent was split into four almost equal pieces. On the top, in the north, sat Clubs, it's territory was slightly bigger than anywhere else, to the East of the Joker's Territory sat Hearts and it's islands. To the south was Spades and to the west to Diamonds. The monarchs ranged around the table and Gilbert walked around the table, watching the monarchs and resisting the urged to just tap into their minds directly.

He was a Joker and very magically powerful, but power was not the same at talent. He could do Mental Magic without them noticing, but he was so bad at it, he always worried about somehow warping they way they saw the world. He wasn't even sure if that was possible, but it was Mental Magic, so really anything could be done in the right hands. The right hands were not his hands.

"Welcome to the first day of the Hearts Treaty Negotiations." Kiku said, bowing slightly, "I hope that today is productive and satisfactory for all. These negotiations have been scheduled to take five days, but if we finish early all's the better."

All around the table there were nods of consent and Kiku gave a small smile.

"Very well, with the Joker and Ace's blessing, we shall began." Kiku said, glancing momentarily to Gilbert before continuing, "I would first like to propose that all borders remain the way they were before the war."

"Spades had very little fighting on our territory, so we have no objection." Yao said, nodding.

"I object." Francis said, frowning, "Diamonds have taken more than a hundred acres of Clubs territory and have defended it for two years. We would like to keep it."

Eyes turned to Rodrich. He frowned. Gilbert mentally forced his way into Rodrich's mind, careful to not change anything, just to look and see what Rodrich was thinking.

Rodrich was scared. He didn't want to give that territory up, but it was so battle torn that it would be useless for at least five years. It wouldn't take any Clubs citizens, but they would still have to compensate the people who owned that land. It-

"Agreed, under the condition that the boarder between Clubs and Diamonds becomes open to travel crossed at any time." Elizabeta said, jerking Gilbert and Rodrich out of Rodrich's thoughts.

Rodrich mentally panicked, Gilbert cut the connection between himself and Rodrich and grinned at the Clubs Queen. She was a good one!

"Agreed!" Vash said quickly, before Francis could answer.

"I'd also like to propose an open boarder between Clubs and Hearts." Elizabeta said, turning to the Clubs monarchs.

"Of course." Kiku said.

A wave of pain washed over Gilbert. He coughed and stumbled to his knees. His vision swam and he cursed. He hadn't been paying attention to the rest of the continent. The pain raged through him, but he focused. There. A factory in Diamonds was being torched by it's workers. And there. The first snowstorm of the season was ripping through some mountain communities in Clubs. And there. Another field hospital overwhelmed. There. Another bad catch means a fishing village will go hungry another night, they cracked and are rioting. The pain was bad. Ivan was glancing at him nervously. Kiku was pale. Gilbert felt like he was on fire. It faded. It was going to be okay. Everything was going to be okay.

Gilbert stood and tried to focus on the conversation. Ivan looked concerned still. Gilbert gave Ivan a smile and straightened himself. It was going to be okay. He didn't have time to be on the floor in pain. He would have to jump back in time later and try to minimalism the damage of all that. Later

So much more to do. One thing at a time. He would try to help the people tonight, of course if he was time traveling, it was probably already happening.

Negotiations lasted four days. Peace was finalized and signed by all twelve monarchs. Peace was finally upon them.

Francis gazed through the window of the Diamonds carriage that was to take him home. He waved as they pulled away from the Hearts castle, the Hearts monarchs lined up on the front steps to see them off. The Jack, Feliciano, waved exuberantly, grinning like a child. Francis supposed he was a child. Most of the new monarchs were children. Francis was happy with the treaty, it was surprisingly un biased and fair for a political document. Vash hadn't stated an opinion on the matter, but for him, silence usually meant he was pleased.

Francis watched the bright landscape swish by and cheerful red flowers seemed to be smiling at him. He smiled back, things were good.

"We should have a ball." Francis said out loud, not really addressing the other two passengers in the carriage, but directing the comment toward them.

Silence followed, the trees with red flowers passed and were replaced with a wide expanse of wheat fields.

"Why?" Vash asked, his tone flat.

Francis looked over at his Jack, Vash was gazing out of the other window, his expression blank and his statue relaxed. Lili sat crossed from her brother, also watching the scenery, but with an childish curiosity and awe that Francis and Vash lacked. Francis smiled and looked out of his window again, trying to see it all new like Lili was. It was hard, but seemed to make everything prettier.

"Public relations." Francis said airily, "We need to get everyone out of the war mindset and into the peace, love your neighbor mindset."

"No." Vash said, "We need to focus on rebuilding and getting ourselves through winter. A ball would be expensive."

Francis let out a long breath he hadn't realized that he had been holding. He expected nothing less. Vash held onto money so tight, it was surprising that Diamonds ever had any imports.

"You're right." Francis said, "We need to talk to Arthur and Yao about sending us medicine again."

"I already did." Vash said, "Arthur gets mad every time you open your mouth, so I thought Lili and I should approach them alone."

Francis waited, but Vash remained silent, demanding Francis ask.

"How'd it go?"

"Well." Vash said, "They agreed to send a shipment directly to Antonio."

Francis couldn't help but smile. Antonio would be over the moon to see a shipment of medicine before he sent his men home. Francis glanced at Vash, who was still starting stubbornly out of the window. Lili was waving at someone on the road and beaming like the sun. She was really cute. She watched things go by wide eyed and smiled at everyone on the street.

Francis turned back to his own window again, wishing Lili's brother had some of her demeanor. That's okay, Vash was okay. Everything was going to be okay. Francis was happy.

Francis watched fields turn to sea, then to forest. Eventually he noticed another reflection in the glace apart from his own. He leaned back and looked at the figure now sitting crossed from him. The terror that he had felt the last time he saw the Joker was gone, replaced with a mild curiosity.

"How can I help you?" Francis asked, causing Vash to turn and look at the Red, who was sitting next to him. Lili had fallen asleep a few hours ago.

The Red looked tired, "Hi. Listen, I'm so tired of messing with people's heads to get what I want, I thought I might as well just tell you."

"Okay, what is it you want?" Francis asked easily, sitting back and made an effort to look relaxed.

"You understand that I'm only talking to you because you guys have already dealt with me, and I think we reached an understanding." The Red said, looking between Vash and Francis, "I want you to close the diamond mines and focus all of the resources you can spare to ensuring you have food, trained medics, and medicine for the coming winter."

Vash nodded, Francis frowned. Close the mines? The mines were Diamond's source of wealth.

"Stop thinking that!" The Red whined, he glared at Francis, but he lacked the a fire, his gaze was haggard and frustrated, not really mad, "Stop! Now! Diamond's wealth will mean nothing if half of your population dies! I know! I checked! If things remain they way they are, almost all of your Northern and Western Provence will be dead!"

Francis was unsure what the Joker meant by, "he checked", but dead Provence was not good. The Red ought to know if something like that would happen, so why didn't he just magically prevent it or something? The mines didn't really have to close.

"Yes they do!" The Red said, that tired gaze boring into Francis, "I can prevent sudden disaster, but I can't prevent a long drawn out famine or plague. I can do a lot to make it lessen, but that won't be enough to save your people. This is something you have to do and something you need to take responsibility for! Stop trying to make everything someone else's problem, Francis!"

Francis was taken back. He was doing his job! He was- Wait a second, why was he so slow to catch on? How much was the Red messing with him?

"Stay out of my head." Francis said, his tone icy. He mentally search his mind, looking for a presence other than his own. Nothing. He knew that the Joker was reading his thoughts and had somehow influenced him to not noticed that his questions were being answered. He knew the Joker was masking his presence in his mind and was probably still there.

The Red sat back and sighed. "You know, I've been working harder in the last two years then I ever have before in my existence." The Joker said, "I don't want to do this anymore. I'm done. What I need you to do is close the mines. What I need you to do is take care of your people. Can you please do that for me?"

Vash and Francis were silent. He didn't want to close the mines. The slouched form of the Red was scary though. It was a different sort of scary than last time. He remembered the rage and the power of their last meeting and he saw none of that. This was without a doubt the same person, but something was different. The fire was gone.

Francis looked at Vash, and was surprised to see Vash watching him carefully. Vash was waiting for his response. Francis was King. Francis locked eyes with Vash. Yes. They would take care of the kingdom. They would get everyone through the winter. The mines would wait. It was about time he did something about the worker riots. He was King. It was about time he started acting like it.

Francis looked back at the Red and smiled. A slight pity filled him. What was the Joker going through? The Joker struck Francis as someone he could be friends with very easily, they would get along well. Francis had Vash watching his back. The Red had the Black. It looked to Francis like the Black was doing a pretty poor job of taking care of the Red. Maybe he could help?

"We'll take care of it." Francis said, and for the first time since the Joker arrived, he smiled.

"Thank you." The Red said, and he vanished. There was no smoke this time, no drama, he was there, then he was gone.

"Vash, please get a notice to the mines as soon as we get back. Open up hunting on state land and hire an economics tutor for Lili. We start working with the farmers, merchants, and mill workers tomorrow." Francis said, his gaze being pulled to the window again. "Diamonds is doing really well, but it has a long way to go."

Vash nodded, "I'd like to start writing a trade proposal with Clubs as well. Wood for wheat."

"Good idea. I need to write to Arthur and Kiku." Francis said, "The Council wants to raise the tax on grains, I'll have to talk them out of it."

"Right. We'll get started on that tomorrow."

"Tomorrow." Francis agreed and smiled to himself again and pulled out his pocket notebook. He took out a pencil and flipped the pad open to a fresh page.

Don't forget the Red. Tea?

He frowned and put a line through "Tea?" and replaced it with "Liquor"

Francis flipped the pad closed and put it in his pocket. Friends with a Joker? What an idea.

"Tomorrow." He said absently, "It all starts tomorrow."

Vash and Francis lapsed into a comfortable silence. There was nothing else that needed to be said.

 **SO, I've been feeling bad about neglecting this story. SO, here is the next chapter! I'm actually pretty please I was able to write it so fast :) Here you go! Thanks so much! Especially to Reader for your last reveiw :) This story really doesn't get much attention and I'm so glad you enjoy it :) This chapter is for you!**


	10. Chapter 10

It was open court day. That meant that Arthur got to sit on his throne and listen to people's complains all day long. It was boring, but it had to be done to keep the people happy. Arthur understood the need to make the people happy, he just didn't understand why he had to be the one to do it. Couldn't Yao do this every now and then? Arthur did, in fact, have things to do. Settling minor debates between one or two people ought to be the Council's job. Arthur was finally able to help run the country and pull his weight as Queen, and he still got to do jobs like this. Arthur had an economy to balance and political letters to write and a whole list of other things that were currently residing in a large stack on his desk.

Arthur wasn't alone today. Alfred sat in on the throne next to him, beaming at every single person that came to the bottom of the dais. Alfred wasn't allowed to say anything, he was mostly there for show, but he seemed to be enjoying himself and the people seemed happy to see him.

Arthur was privately relieved that Alfred had managed to behave for so long. Alfred was tapping and fidgeting, but he held on to his part of the deal. He would sit here and be quiet and Yao would let him and Mathew skip economics lessons tomorrow in exchange for hiring a riding instructor. Arthur cleared his head and turned his attention to the next group of people in line.

Three figures approached and knelt down in a bow. Arthur gave them a smile and motioned for them to rise. They did and a spokesman stepped forward.

"Your majesties! We are traveling healers and wish to gain entrance to your facilities that make the treatment for the plague!" The man said, he spoke strongly and with a thick northern accent, though it differed from the accents of the Club's royalty.

Before Arthur had even considered the request, his adviser stepped forward. Arthur waved the man away.

"Where are you from?" Arthur asked.

"Dude! They have a cool accent!" Alfred hissed at him. Arthur ignored him.

"North."

"You realize that the plants that our medicine is made from does not grow in Clubs?" Arthur asked and saw right away that they were aware of it.

"We are not from Clubs." The man said with a shrug and a smug, cocky smile wormed it's way onto his lips, "We're from the Board."

Arthur frowned. The Board. The continent to the East of the Suits. While the Suits' continent was circular and split up five ways, the Board was square and split in half. The Board was ruled by the White and Red Kingdoms. Chess pieces.

The Suits didn't have much to do with the Chess Board. There was little travel between the two continents and mostly they spent all of their time ignoring the other's existence. They never even sent delegates to the Board for political reasons. Maybe there was some trade between Hearts and the Board, but Arthur somehow doubted it.

The Cards never bothered the Pieces.

"Might I ask why?" Arthur studied the three figures. They were all dressed warmly in grays and blacks, and in the style of a normal Suit. The only striking thing about them was that two of them were pale blonde, while the last's hair was white.

The man glanced at his companions and looked back at Arthur and shrugged again, "We're traveling healers. The plague has touched the Board and we heard that you guys had a cure."

"Why not buy it from us?" Arthur asked, still trying to gauge these men's story. It was unlikely they were really from the Board.

"We are pretty confident we will be able to find a treatment of our own." The spokesman said, "We just wanted to check in on how you did things."

"Dude! I want to talk to them!" Alfred hissed, reminding Arthur that the King was still there.

Arthur closed his eyes a moment and muttered a spell. He opened his eyes and looked at the group. The spokesman looked the same as before. The smallest of the group, the white haired one, had an aura of magic hanging around him. The last had not only an aura, but a wisp of a spirit standing behind him. Arthur was very magically sensitive, he knew another talented spell caster when he saw one. His curiosity peaked. These three were probebly not from the board, but they were quite something none the less. Arthur wanted to talk to them too, he couldn't now, it was open court day, but he was Queen.

"I'd like to talk to you more about the Board and your reasons for seeking our facilities." Arthur said and ignored his adviser, who had again appeared looking concerned, "Please come back after the open court ends and we will talk then."

The three of them bowed again and retreated.

"Arthur! That's totally cool!" Alfred yelped, "I've only ever heard of the Board!"

"Keep your voice down." Arthur said with a sigh, "They're probably not from the Board."

"Why would they lie about that though?" Alfred's excitement didn't even falter. Arthur and Alfred watched the three melt back into the crowd. For a moment, Arthur's eye was able to follow them, then the crowd swallowed the three grey clad figures and he lost track of them.

"I don't know, but-"

"ARTHUR!"

Arthur's head snapped up at the sound of an all too familiar voice, the Chess pieces forgotten. It was a voice he had been wanting to hear. His eyes scanned the crowded room, searching for the head of red hair, the name on that had been on his mind for weeks.

"ARTHUR!"

Arthur stood, people's milling stopped and turned toward the commotion at the entrance. The guards had someone who was fighting them and cussing. The person tried to push pass the throng of people, heading towards the thrones.

Arthur watched, frozen.

"Arthur, what's wrong?" Alfred asked, his attention drawn to the guards.

Arthur just shook his head. He couldn't keep the small smile off of his lips, "Allistor."

"What? Don't whisper!" Alfred said, his voice louder to be heard over the turmoil of the hall, "What did you say?"

"It's Allistor."

Arthur waved to the guards to let him come forward. The red head fought, there was a confusion and for a moment or two, Arthur lost sight of him among a sea of blue uniforms. There was a fight or something, Arthur couldn't tell but all at once he was subdued and dragged to the bottom of the dias. His head was hung and he was supported between two guards. A drop of blood fell to the floor. Apparently a guard had hit him. Arthur forced down his anger at the guards, he waved quickly and started down the steps as the guards released his brother. Allistor fell forward to his hands and knees as his supports stepped away, Arthur approached him cautiously. He was aware of what a scene they were making, on a open court day too, and that he would have a hard time explaining it to the Council, but part of him didn't care.

"Allistor?" Arthur asked softly, crouching down beside his brother, "Allistor? It's me."

"Arthur." Allistor's voice came out cold and harsh, and Arthur flinched back. Allistor sat back onto his knees slowly, his hair was longer than Arthur remembered and it fell back out of his face as he looked at Arthur, "I'm going to kill you." He spoke deliberately, his tone furious and his eyes locked with Arthur's. His hand shot forward and grabbed Arthur's collar, dragging Arthur forward so their faces were inches apart. Arthur's hand flew up, stopping the guards yet again as they started to move forward to protect their queen. The room went silent, everyone froze.

"I'm going to kill you." Allistor hissed again.

"Why?" Arthur said, softly, keeping his voice calm and level and continued to hold up his hand, holding the guards at bay. Arthur forced himself to remain relaxed, a rag doll in his brother's grip. He matched Allistor's fury with calm. However, Arthur was far from calm. What on earth was going on? Where did all of this come from? Why was Allistor so upset? Why was he acting like this? What was going on?

"You killed him!" Allistor growled, "You killed Seamas!"

Arthur's calm left. His hand fell and the guards descended on Allistor. He was yanked off of the Queen and pulled back. Arthur was pulled to his feet and Allistor was forced to the ground, gun at his head.

Gilbert laid on the floor of his throne room and stared at the mural on the ceiling. It was a map of the continent. Little colored pinpricks moved around, each representing a person. Gilbert looked at the mural without really seeing it. He didn't sleep, he was dead after all, but he was sure wishing he could. He shifted and folded his hands behind his head, closing his eyes.

Sssssooooooooo tttttiiiiirrrrreeedddddd! Tired! Really tired! Gilbert was burnt out from all that bloody stupid magic. He decided he hated magic. It was a pain to use and always left him feeling like this. Exhausted. Not fair. The Jokers one of the most powerful beings in the continent, so why did he feel like he had a hangover? Magic sucked.

At least the peace treaty was a success. At least that worked out. The stupid deck remained blank, no clue as to a Black Joker. He was still alone. The pain of the Suits had lessened for a time, but after a quick jump into the future, he knew it would be a short reprieve. More problems to come. Organizing food and resources was turning out pretty good. Diamonds was doing the best, Hearts in second, but then again, those were the two kingdoms he had specifically talked to. Clubs and Spades would struggle if they didn't get their act together. It was ironic, or possibly fate, that those were both Black Suits.

Gilbert opened his eyes and studied the mural. The little dots that represented people moved and shifted as the person did. He wasn't sure why they had the map and the room of cards, it wasn't like he needed to monitor where everyone was, he could do that mentally. Well, he could monitor all of the Red Suits mentally. He supposed that since there was no Black, the map was rather nice. The card room was representation of the person, the mural was the the and the spots of the people showed their life. He closed them again and wished he could fall asleep.

He felt a shift in the magic around him. Someone was in one of the rooms behind the mirrors. Gilbert didn't move. If they prayed, he would let them into the Joker's Castle, but he was in no mood to sit up and actually have a conversation with them. Maybe he'd ignore them. Nah, that would be irresponsible. That shift in the magic staid the same. He listened. No prayer. He focused. Club's room. The Queen? No, all three of them. Huh. Maybe they would-

"Dear Black and Red, hear our prayer!" Roderich said clearly. His words rang through the room, he was probably touching the mirror. Gilbert winced and sighed. "We need guidance and-"

Gilbert sighed and wished he had decided to ignore them. He let his magic flow into the mirror, the surface rippled like water and allowed the Clubs monarchs to enter.

The three filed in slowly. Gilbert didn't move. They would be able to see him here without his doing anything.

"What do you want?" Gilbert said loudly, closing his eyes again, "If it's something stupid, I'm kicking you out again."

He heard their steps get closer and opened his eyes again when they stopped. They stood in a little half circle looking down at him with varying degrees of concern. He glanced around the throne room. It was a bit dusty, dark, and rather ominous. The monarchs stood closer together than seemed normal, and seemed tense. He didn't care if they were comfortable, this room had never been made to be comfortable. Except the dais and the thrones, and the table with the scattered playing cards, the throne room was empty. It had always been empty, to Gilbert's knowledge, and he had no intention of changing that. It wasn't like he normal had guests. Letting the monarchs into the Joker's castle was something he could do, it wasn't something he did often.

Gilbert looked up at the three faces.

"What do you want?" Gilbert repeated.

"Are you okay?" Elizabeta asked, her face laced with concern and worry.

"I'd be better if you just told me why you contacted me." Gilbert said, he couldn't keep the boredom out of his voice, "I'm a rather busy person."

Roderich coughed, "We can see that." He said, gazing around the room. "We would like to know if you could give us a cure to the plague."

Gilbert closed his eyes. A small shiver of pain ran through him, it wasn't enough that he showed it, but it was a reminder of the scores of field hospitals on the Clubs and Diamonds border over flowing with sick and dying people. Diamonds had Spades sending them medicine. Clubs didn't.

How had he forgotten?

"There is no cure in existence." Gilbert said slowly, "There is a treatment, that gives good results though. Spades has the medicine to help you."

"Can we make it ourselves?" Elizabeta asked, her voice was low and the monarch's reaction to his words told a story Gilbert already knew. Clubs was bankrupt. No money. The barren castle when he was searching for Elizabeta was only the start. Clubs would never be able to afford the shipment of medicine from Spades.

"No, it's made from a plant that grows on the coast between Hearts and Clubs." Gilbert let out a small sigh and sat up. "If we can get Hearts to start making the medicine, you will be able to get it from them."

"Would they do that for us?" Ivan asked doubtfully, "We were allies during the war, but they are rather hard pressed right now."

"We're all hard pressed right now." Gilbert said and scratched his head, "They won't do it for you, but they will for me."

"I don't think so." Roderich said slowly, "They don't have the means to make the medicine, do they?"

Gilbert closed his eyes yet again. He hated that Roderich was right. Hearts didn't have the facilities to make it. He knew that if he talked to Kiku and Ludwig, they would do it, but he also knew that such an endeavor might upset the balance and put Hearts in a bad position. No, Hearts need to focus on clothing and feeding their population. Clubs needed that too. Clubs needed no plague to deal with. Diamonds had Spades taking care of them and Clubs would go into debt to try and get that medicine from Spades. Even then, with the coming winter, not all of the medicine would make it safely to the trenches.

Sure, the soldiers on the Diamonds boarder could just get treatment along with the Diamonds soldiers, but all of the sick soldiers going home would be getting their families sick. Then there were the rats, rats would spread plague faster than people. At least with the coming winter, rats might hibernate or something. Gilbert didn't know if rats hibernated, but he knew that rats would get into grain and food stores in the winter and get lots of people sick.

"Fine." Gilbert said without opening his eyes, "I'll talk to Diamonds, all of your boys at that border will be taken care of."

"What about everyone else?" Elizabeta asked. Plague spread quickly. It was devastating. What they didn't need was too much of their population dying that the crops couldn't be tended and harvested.

Gilbert didn't look at them. Hearts had been relatively plague-free and Spades was managing only because they had found a treatment. Spades had taken a serious hit from the plague right after the Black died and their population was reduced dramatically. Clubs would have a harder time since instead of coming out of winter like in Spade's situation two years ago, they were going into it. Plus, there was no wonderful treatment to be discovered. Diamonds and Clubs were limping along right now, but as soon as sick soldiers started heading home, sickness would spread like fire.

This wasn't something Gilbert could handle on his own. If the Black was here, maybe. Right now, he was burnt out and alone. His magic could only do so much, and in the condition he was in now, he would be able to very little.

"Red? Is there anything we can do before the plague spreads?" Elizabeta asked. It hurt him to hear that note of defeat in her voice. It was clear they had been discussing this topic extensively before trying to contact him. It was also clear that they must have seen their options as bleak as he saw them. They were hoping for a miracle. A miracle that he couldn't give.

It hurt.

Gilbert hung his head, he studied the black and red tiled floor and closed his eyes yet again. "I'll see what I can do."

Silence filled the big hall. The three monarchs shifted uneasily. Gilbert could feel them interfering with the normal magic of the castle. The Joker's Territory wasn't kind to the living. They would be fine inside the castle, but he knew that even their presence would make the wild magics outside unruly. He didn't want to deal with it right now. He didn't want to be Joker right now. He wanted to be a stupid dead body rotting in the ground.

The silence huge heavy and oppressing. The monarch's fears, hopes, and now disappointment and despair, hit Gilbert like a hammer. Their close proximity to him and the magic of the Joker's Territory made their despair all the more acute and their pain became his. He was telling them what they had already known. There was nothing the awesome Joker could do for them.

"Thank you." Roderich said, "We will leave you now."

"That would be best." Gilbert didn't move as two pairs of steps retreated.

"Ivan are you coming?"

"Yes, give me a minute."

Gilbert didn't move. Go away Ivan. There is nothing else that needs to be said.

"What are you going to do, Snowflake?" Ivan asked softly.

Gilbert wanted to cry. He wanted to hit something. The weight of Clubs royalty's despair lessened as Elizabeta and Roderich left. Gilbert could clear his head enough to think. He still wanted to hit something. That exhaustion returned.

Gilbert sighed and laid back on the ground again, squeezing his eyes shut so he didn't have to look at the Club's King. "I'm going t-," Gilbert's words caught as anger bubbled in him. He hated to say it, hated to lower himself, but he was forced to this. He was powerless to help Clubs, and if he didn't do something, the balance would again be tipped. That was his job, keep the balance; and he couldn't. Ivan had been right, he was just prolonging the time before things fell apart. He took a deep breath, trying to force that hot anger away. He didn't looked up at Ivan, "I'm going to talk to the Aces."

 **So sorry about the late update, been really busy :b**

 **Here it is! It's rather darker than usual and I was able to expand on the world a bit more. Do you know who the three traveling healers are? Chessverse Hetalia doesn't get much attention, so I thought I would make it part of my version of Cardverse!**


	11. Chapter 11

Ludwig looked around and sighed. The hall was covered in blue and black drapes, a spades crest hung on a silk banner on the wall. People in blue and white uniforms moved around him without noticing him and continued to go about their business. There was an urgency to their movement, a tension and fear hung in the air. Ludwig had this dream at least once a week since he had it that first night that Gilbert had come to him. That first time he hadn't known what it was and he still didn't. However, it didn't really bother him as much as it had those first few times. Watching the Queen of Spades be torn apart by grief was not fun, but it wasn't disturbing anymore either. Ludwig had no love for Spades and hadn't been impressed by Arthur when they had met. Ludwig was mildly annoyed he had the same dream so often, but it wasn't every single night so it was bearable. Besides, it was just a dream after all. The servant scattered in all directions and were gone as Arthur started yelling.

"YOU DON'T THINK?!" His face was red, and he turned sharply to look at the two men who followed him calmly out of the door, "YOU DON'T THINK HE IS GOING TO LIVE?! THEN MAKE SURE HE DOES!"

"I'm very sorry, your majesty, I do not have the means to help him." The shorter of the two men said, his face and tone emotionless.

"THEN GET IT!" The young man yell, he stalked up to the man and his voice dropped to a threatening tone, "You are supposed to be the best doctors in the kingdoms, if not the whole world! You bloody better keep him alive."

"There is nothing we can do." The man said, he spoke levelly, without speeding up or looking away from the young man in front of him, "You can threaten us, you can send us back to Clubs, you can send us to the Board, you can send us to the Joker's Territory, you can have us killed as conspirators against the crown, you can throw us in jail, and there will still be nothing we can do for him."

It was as if the color drained out of Arthur. He seemed to fold inwardly and stood frozen for a moment, staring at the doctor. Slowly, he straightened and stepped back. He swayed slightly, the commanding air gone and leaving behind a lost, frightened boy.

Ludwig walked forward, looking carefully at the two doctors. They didn't really look like doctors to him. He had noticed that the dialogue in this dream changed ever so slightly each time, but not enough to really change the outcome.

"I am sorry, Lukas, for my out burst." The boy said, staring at the doctor without seeing him, "I was out of line. Please do everything you can to keep him comfortable. You and your companions may stay in the castle as long as you wish."

Lukas? Ludwig thought that was the first time that Arthur had named one of them, but he wasn't sure.

"Thank you, your majesty. Mathias will contact Emil and let him know shortly." The two men bowed and silently moved back into the room they had come from.

Ludwig watched as Arthur slowly sank to his knees and started to cry. Ludwig no longer bothered with trying to touch anything, he always passed right through it. Right, Alfred should enter next. Mathias? Was that Lukas's companion? Ludwig guessed so, but what about Emil? Who was that? Whatever. He wasn't sure why he cared. It was a dream.

"Arthur?" Alfred's tentative voice echoed down the hallway, right on schedule, "Are you okay? What's going on?"

Arthur stood and turned away from his King. "I'm fine, please go back to your studies. Yao and I need you educated before you can take over your duties as King."

"Arthur, what ever it is, it's going to be okay."

Arthur scowled at the ground, but only Ludwig could see it, "Please go Alfred."

Ludwig wondered why this part of the dream never varied. The conversation between Alfred and Arthur was always the same.

"I'm here for you. I want to help." Alfred said, then slowly walked away.

As usual, the moment he was gone, the door the doctors had entered opened again. A tall red headed man followed one of the doctors out. Neither of them looked at Arthur, but Arthur reached out, gently touching the man's shoulder.

The man flinched away and gave Arthur a look of pure hatred, "You ever touch me again and I will rip you to pieces." The man hissed.

That was new. Ludwig didn't recall this man ever talking before.

"Please, Allistor! I didn't mean to!" Arthur's voice cracked and he looked up at the taller man almost pleadingly.

"You're pathetic." Allistor growled.

"Please treat your Queen with some respect." Lukas said, his tone just as emotionless as it had been when talking with Arthur.

Ludwig was fascinated. This had defiantly never happened before. One or two word changes were not uncommon, but a whole new conversation? Wow. Not really, this dream was still pretty boring.

Allistor whipped around to face Lukas, "You have no right to tell me what to do, chess boy!"

"Your majesty, now that I think about it, being transported back to the Board, wouldn't be so bad." Lukas said without breaking eye contact with Allistor.

Allistor growled again, "What? Going to run away with your tail between your legs because you can't save one little boy?"

"I'm not a doctor. I'm a healer." Lukas said, "And some people cannot be healed."

His companion, who Ludwig assumed could only be Mathias, stepped forward and put a hand on Allistor's shoulder, "Please Allistor, we have to go home. You knew we would leave eventually."

"You're just going to leave me here?" Allistor yelled, his voice getting higher in pitch, "With him?" Allistor pointed at Arthur with disgust.

"You can come if you want to." Mathias said patiently, "We can talk to our King and Queen and get you a citizenship on the Board."

Allistor looked at the ground and sighed. Ludwig could almost see the fight drain out of him.

"I'm not leaving while Peter is still alive." Allistor said, "I will not abandon him."

Lukas and his companion shared a glance and they both nodded, "We can wait."

With that the three of them continued on in the direction they had been heading.

"Wait!" Arthur yelped and the three stopped again, looking back at him, "What about me? You're going to abandon me?"

Allistor just looked at Arthur for a moment, then turned and started walking again, "You abandoned us for a crown."

Ludwig watched as Arthur watched them go, more tears spilling out of his bloodshot eyes. Interesting. He had a name to two more faces. He didn't know who Allistor or Lukas were, or even if they were real people. This was a dream after all, it would make sense that he inserted fake people into Arthur's little drama. He usually woke up right about now.

"Arthur?"

Ludwig and Arthur turned at the sound of Yao's voice.

"Alfred said there was something wrong." Yao said approaching, "What can I do to help?"

Arthur just stared at Yao.

Ludwig woke with a start. He blinked rapidly and looked around his room. Yep, he was awake. He yawned and streached, blearily getting out of bed. Weird dream. He wished he would stop having it.

Gilbert put the last journal away. He had spent the day updating the Joker's Library with all that had happened in the last few months. Getting all of the new monarchs down and the recording the peace treaty was important. He had put down everything he deemed important and maybe added a bit more commentary than was strictly necessary, but all of the Jokers did, so he didn't think it was that big of a deal. He was a bit over excessive with details though. That was uncommon, even for him. Oh well, it was all written down and he wasn't about to go write it again. Gilbert glanced down the long aisle of books. The last few cases on his right were all red bound since he was the only one recording.

Pain shot through Gilbert and he forced it away. It was a reminder. Yes, he had not talked to the Aces yet. He was just getting some other stuff out of the way first then he'd just jump back in time and summon them and yell at them and threaten them and ask them politely to help him and cry and grovel if he had to. He just needed to finish up with some other stuff. Important stuff like updating his journals. Stuff that shouldn't be delayed. He totally wasn't procrastinating or wracking his brain for some other solution or trying to ignore the problem or anything like that. No! Of course not! Gilbert was just, well, he had other stuff to do too.

Jeez. What was wrong with him? Clubs had people dying and going home and spreading the plague and suffering and praying and he was ignoring it. Gilbert slumped against a book case and looked at the floor.

It was a rather nice floor. Tiled black and white instead of black and red like the rest of the castle. It was clean, though dusty. He really should sweep some time.

Gilbert stood and started walking back towards the throne room. The longer he put this off, the more guilty he would become. Gilbert wanted to still be able to live with himself.

In the throne room, Gilbert sat down on his throne and closed his eyes. It had been a long time since he had last summoned the Aces. They didn't always come and they didn't always come together. The Aces were like bickering children.

Gilbert exhaled slowly. It was going to be okay. Ask them to help out Clubs. Ask Lady Luck to help out Clubs, she was supposed to be watching over them anyway. Opportunity might lend a hand since they were allies in the war. Still, summoning all of them would give Gilbert the opportunity to yell at all of them at once.

There was a change in the magic around him again. There was someone in one of the mirror rooms again. Gilbert really didn't want to deal with this right now. There was a tap on the mirror leading to Diamonds.

"Red? You there?"

Gilbert frowned. They didn't even have the decency to pray? He would ignore them then.

"Red? It's me, Francis. I was wondering if you would join me for a drink."

Gilbert really didn't want to deal with this. If the King of Diamonds wanted to have a nice little sit down with him and chat, the guy probably wanted him to turn lead into gold or something ridiculous like that.

Francis tapped on the glass again, "Red? I'm pretty sure you can hear me. If you don't want to, that's fine. I'm sure you're busy, so I'll just leave this bottle here and send a servant in to clear it up later."

Gilbert watched Francis walk back into the room and place a bottle on the little coffee table and leave. What? Gilbert was expecting the king to be a little more persistent than that. Usually stupid requests were the ones people asked for most often.

Gilbert teleported over to the mirror and peered through into the Diamond's sitting room. Francis had left and even locked the door. Gilbert could see the label on the bottle from were he stood. It was a vintage red wine. Gilbert wondered if Francis had positioned the label so that he could see the date from his side of the mirror. Gilbert stepped through the glass and walked into the room. He picked up the bottle and examined the label more closely. This wine was over seventy years old.

Gilbert wasn't sure he could get drunk now that he was dead, but it occurred to him that he really wanted to get drunk before he talked to the Aces. Of course he still drank a lot now that he was a Joker, somethings never changed, but he didn't go out with the intention of getting drunk. One bottle of wine probably couldn't do it, but that was all that was here, so he wasn't about to complain. Gilbert opened the bottle and poured himself a glass. It tasted wonderful.

For the first time he noticed a note on a small piece of paper on the table.

Your Welcome

That king sure had some guts. What a jerk. Gilbert smiled and stuffed the note into his pocket. He took the bottle and the wine glass back into his throne room and sat on his throne sipping it. It really was good wine. He didn't even like wine and it was good. Gilbert finished off his first glass and poured himself another.

He took a sip and closed his eyes. Aces. We need to talk. Now. Luck, we need to talk. Opportunity, Chance, Fortune, don't ignore me. We need to talk and I will hunt you down and find you if you do not come of your own free will. I'm not happy about it, but we need to talk.

Gilbert had finished that glass without noticing, so he topped off the cup again. That king sure did have good taste.

Aces. Where are you? We need to talk. Damn it. Get rid of the plague. Damn you.

Gilbert closed his eyes and waited.

Damn you. Damn you all.

 **Hi! Now that Northern Crimes is done, this story will continue! It will still be slow, but it will be better than nothing! Sorry this chapter is short and maybe a bit confusing!**


	12. Chapter 12

Francis took the top of the stack of papers, perhaps five inches, and placed it on the floor next to his desk. He then took the next paper and placed it in front of him. All of this paperwork needed to be completed, but he figured mixing it up a little bit wouldn't change anything as long as he finished. He was just really sick of looking at finance reports. Apparently, everything on the top of the stack was finance reports. Everything he had done in the last hour was a finance report. He never wanted to look at anothter finance report again.

This new paper was from the Council. Apparently they wanted to grant the royal library money to increase their science section. He denied the request. It was a wonderful idea, but the treasury didn't have the funds to support whimsical things to benefit only the upper class.

Next, a plan for improving roads throughout the kingdom. It seemed like a good idea, but he could requests the province governments pay for it. Nah, the people hated the crown enough as it was. The Crown paying for the improvements would give a better impression, plus it might encourage trade within the kingdom and-

There was a puff of smoke and the Red Joker stood before Francis's desk. He looked furious.

"Hello Red," Francis said in surprise, "What can I do for you?"

"Absolutely nothing!" The Jokers snapped.

Francis frowned, "I'm sorry to hear that. Why are you here?"

The Red just glared at Francis for a moment, "I have no idea!"

With a puff, he was gone.

Francis stared at the place the Red had stood. That was weird. Francis hopped the Red had gotten the wine he had left. It was good stuff and the Joker struck Francis as the the sort to appreciate good alcohol. Hmm. Francis wanted to befriend the Joker. He still wasn't sure why, but it seemed like a good thing to do.

Francis's eyes moved from the Joker's previous location to the stack of paper on his desk, then to the stack on the floor, then to the stack on the chair acrossed the room that a servant had brought five minutes ago. His eyes moved back to where the Joker had stood, then to the door.

Francis tried to feel guilty about it as he stood and started toward the door. Nope. No guilt what so ever. He opened the door and nearly ran into the guard standing there.

"Pardon me!" Francis said quickly, "I'm so sorry! I didn't realize you were there."

The guard spun around and saluted, "Sorry sir! I was posted here to keep you from being disturbed."

"Thank you!" Francis said with a smile, "You've done your job well."

Francis smiled at the guard and the guard shifted uncomfortably, but didn't move from blocking the doorway.

"Well?" Francis said pleasantly, "You are dismissed."

The guard shifted and looked at the ground, "I'm sorry, sire. I am stationed here."

"Please report to the captain and tell him that you need a new station." Francis said easily and made a shooing motion, "Tell him I'm doing well."

"You see sire," The guard said nervously, "I was stationed here by Jack Vash."

Francis's face fell. "Vash?"

"Yes sire."

"You were stationed directly in front of the door?" Francis tried to put the honey back into his voice.

"Yes, your Majesty." the guard refused to look up.

"To keep me from being disturbed?" Francis managed to smile and his voice was like silk.

"Yes, my lord." The guard seemed to be shrinking back into himself.

"And to keep me from leaving?" Francis didn't think he had ever made his voice sound more diplomatic in his life.

The guard could only nod.

Francis sighed, but was careful to still sound pleasant, "Oh well. I guess the Joker can wait."

The guard grew stiff, but didn't move.

"You know, as King I rank higher than the Jack?" Francis smiled winningly at the guard even thought he still haven't looked up.

"He said you would say that." The guard sounded miserable, "And to tell you that your duties as King rank higher than your personal agenda."

Francis could almost see Vash standing in front of him looking disapproving. Francis sighed again and turned back into his office and closed the door behind him. Why did Vash have to make his life so difficult? There was a semi-demon-god-thing that needed him right now.

Francis walked behind his desk and opened on of the big windows that looked out into the garden. He clambered out of the window as gracefully as he could manage, then straightened his cloths and started back inside. He walked quickly and purposefully, pausing only to dart behind doors or into alcoves to avoid the occasional servant and guard. He reached the throne room without being discovered, but hesitated before entering. The Mirror Room was behind the thrones and to get there, he would first have to get through the emptiness of the throne room.

If he was very lucky, no one would be in the throne room. He put his ear to the door and listened. All sounded empty. Besides, he was King, he had every right to go to his throne room. Francis cracked open the door and peeked through. Seemed empty enough. He summoned his courage and threw the door open, sprinting acrossed the pretty, polished floor as fast as he could go. He threw open the door to the joker's room and darted inside, slamming the door behind him and quickly locking it.

Francis gave a sigh of relief then immediately felt ridiculous. He didn't just race through his own throne room and lock himself in here just to avoid Vash, right? Just the idea of racing through his own throne room, so as not to be seen, was insane.

Francis brushed himself off and surveyed the room. It looked about the same as how he had left it, minus the wine bottle, glass, and his note to the Joker. Francsis wouldn't help but smile. He felt like he was getting a grasp of who the Joker was. Though, the random appearance of the demon was unnerving.

Francis walked over to the mirror and peered at himself. He had always fancied that if he squinted he might be able to look through to the other side. He placed one hand on the glass and to his surprise it rippled like water. He jerked his hand away and watched as the ripples grew small and the mirror grew flat yet again. Francis steeled himself and stepped through the mirror.

Cold washed over him and an overwhelming serge of magic raced through his body. The room on the other side of the mirror was huge, empty, and dark. The strange mists that had appeared when he had first met the Joker crawled acrossed the floor and seemed to move toward Francis as he stepped away from the mirror. Ah, it wasn't totally empty. At the far end, Francis saw a raised dais with two thrones and a table set in front of them. Cards scattered the table and floor around the thrones. As Francis walked slowly closer to the thrones, the mists at his feet seemed to grow thicker. His foot steps where muffled and apart from the swirling of the mist, all was still.

"Red?" Francis said, "Red? Are you here?"

As Francis drew closer to the thrones, it became more and more apparent that he was alone.

* * *

The very air in Clubs Castle seemed heavy. Ever breath was cold and the silence was oppressive. Rodrich walked slowly through the empty rooms and looked over everything. The walls were stripped of decoration and the little frunicher was dusty. Most halls were unlit, the rooms empty and devoid of life, there was no movement.

Usually none of this bothered Rodrich, this was a low time for Clubs, but he had always believed things would get better. The latest letter from the Council had left him feeling as empty as the castle.

Snippets of words raced around in Rodrich's head. He didn't recall all of the letter, and didn't want to. However, those dark lines kept returning.

 _The Five and Seven are ill with the plague._

 _The Ten has resigned._

 _The last of the crops were destroyed by the early onset of winter._

 _The Three and Two have asked that the Council take control of the Kingdom._

 _The Nine is missing._

 _The troops at the border have started deserting in droves and going home._

 _The plague has reached the center of the Kingdom._

Rodrich barely had a Council. He had a small group of very scared people trying desperately to grasp on to some straw of reliability and sanity. His life had been anything but reliable and sane recently.

Then there was Ivan and Elizabeta.

Rodrich squashed those thoughts before they had time to form. There were somethings he wasn't ready to face and the problem of the King and Queen were one of them. Rodrich's steps slowed to a halt. He was in a side corridor that led to the servant chambers. He turned. He knew what to expect.

More empty rooms.

Most of the servants had been laid off to cut down on crown spreading, but now there were none. The royal guard consisted of ten members and the cook continued to work only because she was promised room and board for free as well as a stipend of fire wood.

Rodrich knew there were things he ought to be doing right now, but he also knew that there was nothing he could do. Requests from the merchants, pleas from his generals, the piles of financial reports, there was nothing he could think of to fix them. He was Jack and powerless. Clubs was bankrupt, it's population sick, and it's government barley limping along.

Ivan had been the one to suggest visiting the Joker and asking for a solution to at least one of those problems. To learn that the Joker was incapable was not heart breaking; it ripped Rodrich's heart out and burned up the last drop of hope he had contained.

Rodrich's feet brought him back to the throne room. He opened the door and walked the great hall without hesitation. There stood the two monarch's thrones. It had never bothered him that the Jack didn't get a throne. He was Jack, the magic behind the scenes that made everything work well. Except now.

He walked up the steps of the raised dais and sat down on the floor between the King and Queen's thrones. Here he was. The balance point between the two heads of state.

The Jack looked out over the empty hall. The kingdom was falling apart around him.

"Rodrich?"

The jack turned at the voice in surprise. Elizabeta looked down at him in concern and walked slowly beside him, "Are you okay?"

Rodrich looked away, "Everything is falling apart, your majesty."

"I asked if you were okay, I know everything else is terrible." She spoke mildly and sat down in her throne, looking out over the throne room.

Rodrich just shook his head, "I'm sorry you were given a broken throne and shattered country."

Elizabeta sat back, "The throne seems fine to me, it's just everything else."

Rodrich sighed, "It would be nice if 'everything else' would get it's act together and behave."

Elizabeta chuckled darkly, "Maybe if we asked nicely, Misfortune would go bother someone else for a while."

"And then everything can go back to normal." Rodrich wasn't sure he recalled what 'normal' was like, but he knew it would be significantly better than this. Anything would be significantly better than this.

Elizabeta smiled at him suddenly, "If this is rock bottom, then things can only get better from here, right?"

"This is not rock bottom." Rodrich said, his voice emotionless, "Clubs could go into a state of anarchy or just all die of starvation and the plague in the next few months. Things will be getting worse."

Elizabeta frowned, "No, I don't think so. Things will get better."

Rodrich hated how optimistic she was. Sometimes reality was harsh and all she was doing was lying to herself to keep from facing the truth. Why couldn't she see that? Clubs was going to fall, fail, and be gone. The next kingdom conference would be about how to evenly split up what used to be Clubs kingdom.

"I think we should worry about keeping the people as happy as possible." Elizabeta said, "Let the soldiers go home, it will keep them from deserting and their families from hating the crown."

"If we do that, they will bring the plague home with them." Rodrich let his head drop into his hand and stared at the floor.

"The plague has already gotten to the center of the Kingdom, they are currently deserting in desperation to get home." Elizabeta's voice had grow cold, "We have two options, we can let them go home, or we can explain the situation to them again and hope they don't desert. We need them home to help feed their families and we don't need their families feeling bitter about the crown."

"What about the plague?"

"It is out of our control at this point. We need to get medicine from one of the other Kingdoms, but we are beyond the point of controlling it's spread."

Rodrich could feel the Queen's eyes, but he shook his head and looked up to match her gaze, "So, you want to let all of the troops disband, go home, and try to get by while we try to get medicine and feed the population with the little reserve food we have?"

"Yes."

It was a better idea than anything he had come up with, but it was so simple. It seemed too easy. Too stupid. Too fragile to work. One hitch and they would be defenseless. If the mill workers went on strike, if the troops rebelled, if no other kingdom would trade-there was just too many 'ifs' that could tear the plan apart.

However, it was better than anything he had come up with.

 **Again, sorry about slow updates, but here we go! I feel like Rodrich's section is weaker than usual, oh well. Constructive Criticism is appreciated! Please Review!**


	13. Chapter 13

Arthur sat dumbfounded on his throne and stared at his brother, being held down at gunpoint. He wave vaguely at his adviser, who scuttled over to him quickly.

"Sire! You are making quite a scene-" The man started quickly.

Arthur interrupted, "I know. Open court is over for today and will continue tomorrow at the normal time."

"But, your majesty!"

"Dismiss everyone." Arthur said shortly, "Now."

The adviser bowed and scuttled away.

"Um, Yao is going to be really mad." Alfred said slowly, "Maybe-"

"No. We're done." Arthur said, unable to tear his eyes away from Allistor. Allisor stared up at him with eyes dark with hate. Arthur knew that the guards were not the ones keeping Allisor down, it was the gun.

The throne room was emptied surprisingly quickly and the moment the big doors closed, Arthur carefully approached Allistor yet again.

"What do you mean, I killed Seamas?" Arthur asked softly, knowing Allistor would be able to hear him.

Allistor was completely tense and his eyes narrowed, "You're despicable! You didn't even knew he had died! Did you?"

Arthur felt his chest constrict. He hadn't known. He didn't know. He didn't believe.

Allistor's face contorted into an expression of even deeper hate, "I leave to fight for the crown and come back to find one brother dead, the other dying, and the crown didn't even know!"

Arthur closed his eyes, "Dying? Who? Rys?"

"Peter!" Allistor snapped, "Peter is dying! Seamas is dead! Rys is still on the front line and probably still doesn't know!"

That makes two who went to fight, while two staid behind. Arthur felt his legs give under him and he fell to his knees.

"And you!" Allistor sneered, "You who run the country! You who sleep in warmth, safety, and well fed! You didn't even check on any of us! Did you even know I had been drafted? Rys enlisted in hopes we would be stationed together! Did you even care?"

Arthur didn't try to talk. Of course he cared. But what did saying that matter? It would fall on accusing ears and only further enrage Allistor. There was nothing he could say to make it any better.

He looked up at Allistor. Allitor, whose's hair hung long, whose cheeks jutted out and spoke of malnourishment, whose's sun burnt skin was dirty and peeling. His cloths were ragged, barley recognizable as a Spades uniform, if not for that distinctive blue. Here was Allistor, who fought for the crown. Who fought for Arthur.

Seamus dead and Peter dying. Rys on the line. Arthur closed his eyes and tried to block out the world. This wasn't fair. This was not what he had wanted.

He summoned a small ball of magic within him, focusing it in his chest. He filled it with as much calm as he could muster, as much content, and all of the exhaustion that he had accumulated over the past few weeks. He looked up at Allistor and met those hard eyes. Arthur sat up and pulled the magic out of him, into a glowing blue ball, hovering before him.

Allistor looked and the magic and struggled backwards, he was no fool and knew magic as well Arthur did. "You coward, trying to escape!" Allisotor hissed as a guard planted a foot hard in his back.

Arthur pushed the magic forward and watched as it engulfed his brother. Allistor fought it, his own magic glowed forth for a moment, a brilliant hue, then Arthur's magic took over. Allistor's eyes fluttered, his war torn body grew relaxed and he was asleep.

Arthur's eyes looked at his older brother and he swallowed back the lump in his throat, "Guards, stand down. I want him taken to the infirmary, checked up and then placed in one of the guest suits until he wakes. He will be fed, clothed, and treated in all manners as a dignitary of the highest rank." Arthur's words rung through the still hall and immediately the room burst into motion.

This was the best he could do for Allistor right now. Arthur stood, trying to clear his thoughts. Alfred stood in front of him with a childish concern, but Arthur ignored him. Arthur stalked to his rooms and changed in to the least flashy cloths he could find, saddled one of the guard's horses then he left the castle. He road the streets unarmed, unaccompanied, and unnoticed.

The town moved as it always did. Busy, bustling, noisy, alive. He rode ignoring it. The stares, the waves and smiles from his people meant nothing to him. Arthur only saw the blur of buildings moving by and the road disappearing under the horse's hooves. He urged the horse faster as they broke out of the busy district and out into open country. They flew, the wind tore at Arthur's hair, whipping his face and only now did he began to cry. He sobbed, there was no one here to see him, he screamed at the wind until his lungs hurt, tears poured down his face, he clutched the horse's reins and sat forward, urging it faster. Faster. The world was a blur, not only from the speed, but the tears that kept welling up in his eyes.

Finally, the horse slowed to a tired walk. They plodded along, walking the dusty roads outside the Spades capital. There were the crisscrosses and turns of an unplanned road, but Arthur had grown up here and knew them without thinking. He guided the house up a lane that ended in a big iron gate topped with a decorative K. Arthur dismounted, leading the horse through and looked at the once proud mansion that was once his home.

Everything was still and was he tied up the horse and walked up the front steps, the house seemed to remind him of Allistor. Accusing. He hesitated to go in and instead knocked. The knocks rang through the house like a gun shot and he stood, waiting and listening for what seemed like forever.

The door creaked open and a little old woman looked out warily. For a moment she just looked at Arthur, then recognition drew acrossed her face, "Arthur? Is that really you?"

Arthur nodded mutely, "Allistor came to me-" he choked and his voice failed.

The woman nodded, "I tried to keep him from, I don't blame you, deary." She opened the door and slowly Arthur entered, "Peter is upstairs."

The boy lay on the bed like stone. His skin was clammy and pale, his breath was ragged and shallow. Arthur sat down, taking the small hand and again, started to cry.

Seamas's grave was fresh, no more than a few weeks old and the shiny new grave marker stood darkly next to the stones of their parents. His name etched deep and the inscription below his life's date span was only four words.

 _You are Forever Loved_

Arthur stared at the four words. They were true, but darkly mocking. Did you love him Arthur? Did you love him enough to check on him? Could you have prevented this? You and your crown, you and your doctors?

Arthur turned away from Seamas's grave, there was nothing he could do for this brother now, but for Peter, there was still hope. While there was breath, there was hope. Arthur would ensure Peter lived.

* * *

The Aces never came. Gilbert sat and waited. He didn't know how long, but they never came. He stood, pacing his throne room and cursed them. He raged, threatened, sent out as much magic as he could muster and they never came.

Hate burned through him. Clubs would die. The balance would be tipped and the kingdoms would tear themselves apart. So, he went Ace hunting.

He searched every part of every country he could think of that he might be able to summon the wretches. He teleported everywhere, at first keeping track of what time it was, then ignoring the natural order of things and searched everywhere.

Admittedly, he didn't know what he was looking for. A spark? A hint of that wild, powerful magic of the Aces? An anomaly that would tell he how to get a hold of them? He walked the room of the card castles and forced his senses into each. He poured over the journals of the Jokers, looking for something past Joker that had forced contact.

Nothing.

Apparently, every time in the past the Jokes needed to talk to the Aces, they came. Apparently, there wasn't a drop of their magic anywhere on the continent. Apparently, they really wanted to avoid Gilbert and were doing a fabulous job of it.

Was he missing something? Was there something he could be doing to help?

Gilbert teleported to Hearts and watched, concealed at the Jack and Ludwig were instructed in economics, he watched Kiku working with the Hearts Council, but left when the Queen noticed him. Yao of Spades was working on a statute revision and Arthur and Alfred where having a open court day. Oh look, Chess piece. Not his concern. In Diamonds, Vash was visiting a mine and ensuring it be closed down, Lili was shadowing a Council member and Francis-

"Hello Red," Francis said in surprise, "What can I do for you?"

"Absolutely nothing!" Gilbert snapped, glowering at the King.

Francis frowned, "I'm sorry to hear that. Why are you here?"

For a moment Gilbert just looked at Francis. How could Francis see him? He didn't want Francis to see him, but he still could. The magic was slipping. The Red monarch's magic was becoming too powerful without the Black censoring it. Why was he here? He knew the Aces hadn't been interfering with the monarchs recently, so what was the point in his checking? Furthermore, the Aces were like gods. Why did he think he could force them to show themselves to a mere demon like himself? It was arrogant, but Gilbert knew he was right. They had no right to ignore him or the Suits. That still left the problem of his presence here though.

He glared at the King and shook his head fiercely, "I have no idea!"

He teleported to Clubs, he didn't know why he wanted to check up on all of the monarchs, but he intended to do so. Rodrich was wandering around randomly and Elizabeta was helping the Club's cook make lunch. Ivan looked up the moment Gilbert arrived and smiled.

"Snowflake, it's been a while." Ivan said warmly, standing and motioning Gilbert to a seat. The king's office was mostly bare and Ivan seemed to be drawing, rather than paperwork.

Gilbert glared at Ivan. He wasn't in a mood to sit and talk.

Ivan just smiled and again motioned to a chair, "Please, let's talk."

"No."

Ivan sat down again with a small sigh, "There are no Aces, are there?"

Gilbert winced at the matter-of-fact tone to him voice, "There are Aces, I've met them."

"Where are they now?"

Gilbert turned away, his anger bubbling up like lava and filling his head with more violent thoughts than he would care to admit, "I don't know."

Ivan's passionless eyes bore into the Joker, "If the Black can die, the Aces can die."

"No. Jokers cycle through people, the Aces have always staid the same." Gilbert said bitterly, "I wish they would die and be replaced though, it would make my job so much easier."

"Make me an Ace."

"That's not how things work."

"Cure the plague."

"I can't."

"Then what is the point of you?"

Gilbert glared at the ground. What was the point of him? He couldn't do this. A Joker once lasted ten years alone and he could barely handle two years. What was the point? He could just stop bothering and let the natural course of things take their toll.

"Damn it." Gil growled, "I don't know."

Ivan's smile returned and he nodded and spoke gently, as if talking to a child, "That's okay. It's just the way things go. You can't balance a scale with only one weight. Clubs will fall, the our people migrating and trying to rebuild somewhere else. Diamonds will have a revolution, killing thousands and leaving yet another kingdom in shambles. Spade's crown will become dysfunctional, and their people will become second priority to the crown's wants. Hearts will starve. There is nothing you can do about that."

Gilbert felt himself grow tense. Ivan had a way of saying everything he had been trying to ignore. Of course Gilbert was aware of the possible futures for each kingdom. However, they were only possible futures and the likely hood of them all happening was slim. Besides, what did it matter to Ivan what happened to the other kingdoms and how did Ivan know about all of those possibilities?

Club's magic was most powerful when dealing with physical space and location, so Ivan being a seer was ridiculous. However, Ivan had been able to see Gilbert from the first time they had met, so Gil wasn't about out rule anything out as a possibility. Then again, he didn't really care why or how Ivan knew what he knew or could do what he did.

Gil didn't care. The world was falling apart around him and he wasn't about to stop everything for one person.

Unless he found the Black, then he would kill the jerk and force the guy to help him fix everything.

So, Gilbert contented himself with glaring at the King and teleporting back to his castle, where he was hit by a tidal wave of wild magic. It was overwhelming and forced him to his knees. At first, he thought it might be the Aces, but no it felt different. It felt scared, angry, invaded, alone. He forced it away and glared around his throne room. A dark mist of the wild magic of the Joker's Territory drifted the floor and he mental banished it. It shifted, but refused to leave.

Gilbert frowned, there was something not right. Something was wrong, very wrong, well more wrong than it had already been. What was it?

Suddenly, Gilbert felt something throbbing in his chest, it was heavy, warm and fast. A heart beat.

It wasn't his heart beat, but someone living was in the Joker's Territory, someone living was in his castle. Someone living was upsetting the natural magic of this place and was now in grave danger. Gilbert scowled. Clearly, someone had a death wish.

He glanced at the mirrors, to his horror, they were all rippling, anyone could walk in at any time. What was he thinking? He sealed off the mirrors and started running, he raced his castle corridors, searching for whatever idiot had wandered in. He ran, listening to the thumping in his chest and the distress of the magic around him.

He cursed his existence. Why must everything go wrong? Why couldn't something go smoothly for once?

 **Okay, so this chapter was rather dark. Sorry about that! I hope you are still enjoying this story and and I'm sorry for the painfully slow updates!**

 **Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and I hope you keep reviewing!**


	14. Chapter 14

Economics was boring and Ludwig was tired. Dreams plagued him every night. The same one, over and over again. Barely changing now. He noticed Feliciano nodding, the boys head started to sink to the desk and Ludwig stuck his elbow in the boy's ribs. Feli's head shot up and he looked at Ludwig in surprise.

"Stay awake. This is important." Ludwig hissed, refocusing on the tutor at the front of the room. He wanted to sleep too. However, the idea of sleeping when he was supposed to be learning his new duties was offensive.

The Jack nodded sadly, "Right. Sorry, It won't happen again. "

The tutor stopped his droning and glanced back at the pair of royalty, "Do you understand the laws of supply and demand?"

"Yes, sir." Ludwig said.

The Jack looked nervous, "Um, maybe, ve?"

The tutor frowned slightly, "What is confusing, Master Jack?"

The boy squirmed and refused to look up at their teacher, "Um, all of it?"

Ludwig wanted to scream. He did not want to go through the whole lesson again. He did not want to spend one more moment in this small room, when the outside was becoming and the royal guard had promised to teach him forms in sword fighting. No, Ludwig did not want to be here.

However, his being here was necessary. His being here was important to his future and the future of Hearts. His being here to listen to the whole lesson again, did not seem necessary or important to anything.

Feli learning this stuff was important though. In fact, this being economics, it was essential that the Jack underst-

There was a crash and a string of cussing. Immediately, Feliciano was up, yanking the door open and popping his head out into the wall.

"Mater Jack! Please come ba-"

Feliciano was gone, darting out of the room, door closing behind him with a soft click. For a moment, the room was silent. Ludwig sighed, giving the tutor an apologetic glance, "I can get him back."

"That you sire. Please do!"

Ludwig stood and walked out into the wall then stopped. At the far end of the corridor had once stood a pair of book shelves, one on either side to the double doors that lead to the library. Both shelves were toppled, books in scattered heaps and two stood around the mess.

One was cussing and one was in complete panic.

Ludwig suppressed a sigh as he stalked down the hallway toward the pair, "Lovino? Feliciano? Don't you have something better to be doing than destroying the castle?"

The darker haired boy's head jerked up, "You shut up you basterd! No one asked you and no one is asking now! Go stick your stupid nose into someone else's business!"

"You're interrupting lessons, pulling Feli away from his duties, that makes it my business."

Feli yelped, "I'm so sorry! He didn't mean to! We'll clean it up! I promise! We've got this! You go back to-"

"NO!" Ludwig's voice echoed through the hall and he fixed Feli and Lovi with a glare. There was only so much of this ridiculousness one person could take and he was done. They had a kingdom to run and while they had been rulers for months now, Kiku still did all the work.

Feli froze, eyes wide as he started at Ludwig, then he and Lovino shrunk back.

"No, YOU will go back to the lesson right now and I and Lovi will fix this. You will not leave again, you will not fall asleep, you will pay attention and if you don't understand you will stay with the tutor until you do." Ludwig glowered at the pair, "Have I made myself perfectly clear Master Jack?"

Feli's mouth opened, but no sound came out but a soft meep. His mouth snapped shut and he nodded quickly. Skirting around Ludwig quickly, the boy darted down the hall and disappeared back into the room where the tutor waited.

For a moment all was quiet, the Ludwig stooped over and started collecting the scattered books. He started getting them into piles and put them to the side. He had maybe three piles before he looked up at Lovino who was still standing where he had been.

"Well? Are you going to help me?" His voice was flat, he was careful to keep his face emotionless and to not sound mad.

"No."

He twitched, voice growing a little louder, "Why not?"

Lovino fixed him with a piercing gaze and folded his arms, "Don't. Yell. At. Feliciano." Lovi spoke slowly as if speaking to an idiot, his tone hard and his face set into a harsh frown, "Ever."

Ludwig straightened up, dropping the books he was holding. They slapped against the ground with a loud, sharp sound, but Lovino didn't flinch, "I will yell at Feli if he so insists on being such a child when the kingdom needs him so much."

Lovino sneered, "The kingdom does need him, you're right, but they need him as him." He threw up his hands, taking a few steps toward Ludwig, "Have you looked around? Have you opened your eyes?! People are scared you basterd! People are frightened and right now, what they need is a monarch who can smile at them and tell them, full heartedly believing it, that things are going to be okay!" Lovino turned, snatching a book off of the nearest stack and flipped it open, then closed again in an agitated manner, as if he was just trying to keep his hands busy, "The kingdom needs a Jack who understands Economics, but the people need a Jack who can give them something you and the Queen can't: Hope. Damn it man! Feli is special! Why can't you see that!? The people love him for him! So you listen to me you jerk ass, don't ever yell at him for being him!" With that Lovino turned on heel and stalked away.

Ludwig watched him go in silence. Lovi ranting was normal. Lovi yelling and complaining was normal. Lovi defending Feli was not. Without a word, Ludwig picked up where he left off, getting the books into stacks and then propped the big book case up again.

Did the people need hope? Hearts was the best coming out of the war. They were doing well, trade was up and Ludwig had thought moral was as well. What did Hearts have to fear? Nothing. Winter was coming and things were going to be okay. Gilbert had told him and Kiku what to do, and they were doing it. Things would be easy, but it would be manageable and it would be okay.

What did Hearts have to fear? Why were the people afraid?

The corridors were dark and shadows twisted and warped into mist which reached out and touched Francis as he walked quickly through the silent castle. The air was cold and damp, there seemed to be a constant current that kept the mists rolling, but it was a current that Francis couldn't feel.

The magic around him seemed to spark without a sound, it was a tense, static thing that seemed to be trying to repel him. Francis wasn't the best at magic, it was something he had never cared to master, but that didn't mean he wasn't capable. Diamond's specialty was Thought as Francis reached out with his magic to the world around him, it was the equivalent of opening his mind and reaching out, tapping his environment with his mental power. Had there been people around, this would fill his head with senseless words of the thoughts of the people around him. In another other place, touching a wall with his mind told him a just a little bit about the wall, like an imprint or shadow of past people's thoughts. It was the sort of thing that might help you navigate a maze or forest and it really ought to have been useful in this situation. However, his mind reached out and brushed the castle around him, and se was filled with a cold emptiness.

It was as if the place he was now in didn't actually exist, there was no imprint, no magical signature. How did that work? No magical signature, but nearly over flowing with magic? Overflowing to the point of having a physical manifestation?

Francis shivered, quickly pulling his mind back and trying again, reaching out and searching for the thoughts of another being. He heard something. It was faint and a long way off, but it was there. He turned down in the direction of the thoughts and picked up speed. He walked quickly and kept his mind clinging to that trace of a thought, it grew stronger so that he could hear it, but still he wasn't able to make sense of it.

It sounded like a child. A child crying.

He as he walked the sound grew more and more distance and the hallway widened out into a large ovular room. Off to one side was a small blue glowing orb, surrounded by a thicker mist than clung to his feet. He walked toward it and as he watched, the orb seemed to shift, as if there was a roiling, living thing trapped in it's glassy walls. The crying became louder, then seemed to choke, the voice of the child was soft, weak and scared.

"I don't want to die."

Francis froze, staring at the orb. As the child's words were spoken, the orb glowed a little brighter, then faded again. The king crouched down to look at the glowing ball and again a voice came.

"Don't let me die. I don't want to. I-I don't want to go into the ground."

Again the child seemed to choke and the sound melted back into s soft sobbing. "Don't let me. I don't wanna. No. No. I don't. It hurts. I don't want to die."

Something in the air seemed to shift and Francis's head jerked up, eyes darting around the dark mist filled room. Again, the shadows seemed to warp, the mist moved with a life of it's own and again the tempture dropped. Francis could see his breath coming out in puffs. His eyes darted back to the orb in front of him and to his horror the blue light started to fade, the sobbing once again seemed further away.

He reached out with his magic, wrapping his conscious around the orb and felt his cheeks grow wet as he stepped into the mind of a child.

The boy was in what might have once been a richly decorated room, but the walls were faded and the curtains hung limp and dirty. He was sitting up in a bed and Francis could feel how cold the boy was despite the mountain of blankets covering him. Still, none of this was what Francis noticed first. What he saw first was the face the boy was looking tearfully up into.

It was the face of Arthur Kirkland, the Queen of Spades.

Arthur looked older than Francis had seen him last, though that wasn't all that long ago. Worry creased every part of the Queen's face, overshadowing the telltale signs of grief. It was the boy's grief that filled Francis.

The boy was scared. He was ill, very, very ill. He had the plague and hadn't gotten treatment. He was in the final stages and knew it. Peter had watched Seamus die of this sickness, he knew what was happening. Peter? Yes. Francis knew this boy's name was Peter because Peter knew his name was Peter. Seamus? That was Peter's older brother. Yes. That's right an-Arthur? Arthur was also Peter's brother. The Queen. Arthur was coming to save him. Arthur came and things would be okay now. It would be. He didn't want to die. He was in so much pain. He didn't want to cry. He couldn't help it. He-Francis yanked his own mind back, forcing himself to focus on which thoughts belonged to him and which thoughts belonged to the boy. He wished he was better at magic. Talent and power were two different things and Kingship only bestowed power.

He could see the world through this boy, Peter's, eye. He could see Arthur and feel Peter's tears. He could feel how much each breath hurt, being dragged in to small lungs in ragged gasps. It felt like bricks were stacked on Peter's chest and his throat burned. Crying didn't help, it made it worst and he could feel how hard Peter was trying to calm down.

Peter was scared.

"Shhhh. Pete, it's okay, shhhhhh, it's okay sweet. It's okay, you aren't going to die. You won't. We have healers, we have medicine, you are going to be okay." Arthur's voice was soft, kindly and stressed, unlike anything Francis had ever heard out of the Queen before. "Peter I'm going to take you back to the castle with me, okay? Allister is there and I'll send word for Rys, would you like that? It's going to be okay." Arthur was stroking Peter's forehead, a forced smile plastered on his face, "Peter? It's okay. Shhhhhh."

The boy nodded quickly, gasping for breath and rubbing his face to stay the tears. Suddenly Francis felt another magic enter Peter. He struggled, trying to identify it. It wasn't another mind it-Arthur. Arthur was doing something. He flet the weight lessen on Peter's chest, the pain growing lighter, but that didn't makes sense. Arthur was Spades, he couldn't heal. Spades controlled Time, how could Arthur lessen pain?

Unless.

It was Time he messed with.

Francis felt an unease grow as Peter started to relax. Arthur had messed with Time, hadn't he? Francis was not the best at magic, but it didn't feel like healing. Arthur had pushed Peter into the past, hadn't he? The Queen had turned back Peter's personal clock, pulling some of the sand from the bottom of the hourglass to the top. Peter was still sick, but he was now at an earlier stage of the plague, wasn't he? There was no way the child would notice it, just that Brother Made It Better. Francis had to admire Arthur for this, trying to save the kid, but it wasn't enough. He could feel that. Peter's body was failing. There was no way that Spades's medicine would save him.

Suddenly Francis felt a jerk. A yank mentally. A searing hot ran through him and he heard Peter cry out as Francis lost his control for a moment. Francis pulled his mind back, blinking and looking around again, the room was, if anything darker. The mist swirled around in an almost agitated manner and as he looked down he was horrified to see that the orb was glowing even less bright.

He scooped up the orb without a second thought, jumping to his feet and looking around for what had forced him to pull back from the child Spade. There was nothing.

The orb was warm in his touch, the soft sound of Peter was growing fainter by the second, the blue light dying. The mists started to collect around Francis again.

He started walking again, clutching the orb and heading back the way he came, no clear clue on what he could do, but if he could find the Red maybe the Joker would know what this orb was and why it was connected to the brother of the Queen of Spades.

The mists grew thicker, the air colder, Francis felt almost as if he was walking in a world of white and grey, the walls of the hallway seemed to melt away. He reached out a hand to touch the wall and felt nothing, he walked in the direction the wall ought to be and his hand met only more of the cold wet air.

Another spear of hot pain ran through him and he gasped, teeth gritting, stumbling to his knees and holding the orb tightly to his chest. It felt as if his body was on fire, but at the same time his limbs grew heavy, the warmth of this body seemed to be being sucked out of him. The white swirling of the mist was all he could see, it was all he could feel, it was an oppressive and encasing thing.

He pulled himself into a ball, fiercely wishing the mist away, focusing on the now gentle breathing of Peter that could still be heard faintly from the orb. He didn't understand what was happening. The Joker's Castle seemed to be a hell. His gaze locked on the dull light of the orb. It seemed to him to be a friendly thing. A nice thing, even if it was linked to a dying child. He-all at once the orb went dark, Peter's breathing gone and the orbs suddenly felt lighter.

For a third time, pain ripped through Francis, he couldn't help it, he screamed then his world went dark and Francis knew no more.

 **To start off, I am so sorry that this is so late. School has been less than kind to me and for a long time I lost the muse for this story. I don't know how many times I opened the document to start at it for hours and try to figure out what on earth was supposed to happen and how to put it into words. I'm sorry. I really do enjoy writing this one but with the lack of time and with my writer's block recently I haven't been able to update. I don't know when the next chapter will be but it WILL come. Today I'm updating both this story and Micro Law, I'm sorry about the unplanned Hiatus.**

 **Thanks to all my reviews and I hope people continue reading this story. Conventional Criticism is always welcome.**


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